


X-Ray VS The Songbird

by darkrose705



Series: X-Ray Vs. The Songbird [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - X-Ray & Vav, F/M, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 03:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3635475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkrose705/pseuds/darkrose705
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crime has increased in Aeravale City. X-Ray and Vav call in reinforcements to help put a stop to it. However, things don't go according to plan for our hero, X-Ray, when he falls in love with the enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. X-Ray and Vav... and Mogar?

**Author's Note:**

> New story! Once I saw the X-Ray and Vav intro for season 2, I got really excited and decided to post this sooner than I intended. This is more of a teaser than a chapter because it's so short. This is a Ray/ Melody story. As usual, you don't have to read my previous stories to know what's going on. But a few characters will appear here and there. I hope you all enjoy.

There’s no shame in reaching out for help. Well, at least I don’t think there is.

“I don’t want to hear it anymore, X-Ray!” My partner, Gavin Free, A.K.A Vav, covers his ears. He slams the door to our base. “We can protect Aeravale ourselves. Why is it a problem now?”

“Vav, we don’t really have a choice,” I answer calmly as I pick up the phone. “Brighton City’s crime rate went down. The city doesn’t need four heroes there! He can come help us.”

“I can’t hear you,” Vav’s British accent is thick. “I’m changing and going home!”

“We barely made it out alive tonight,” I remind him. “Do you want that shit to happen again?!”

“Still can’t hear you!” Vav sings as he runs into our changing room.

“You’re being childish.” I warn as I dial the phone. 

“I swear, if you call him, I’ll never forgive you!” Vav sticks his head out of the room and points.

“Hi,” I greet once someone answers the phone. “Brighton base, would Mogar happen to be sitting around?”

“Yeah, hold on.” The male voice answers. There’s a bit of silence before a familiar Jersey accent comes over the line.

“Hello?” He asks, sounding very confused.

“Mogar!” I smile. “How’re you doing, buddy?”

“Aaaaaaay! X-Ray!” I can hear the joy in his voice. “I’m good, man. But, I’m assuming this isn’t a social call.”

“No. Actually, Aeravale isn’t doing so well. Crime rate went up like crazy, dude.”

Gavin emerges from the next room, completely changed into his casual clothes. “Everything is fine!” Gavin shouts loud enough for Mogar to hear.

“Is that Vav?” Mogar asks.

“Uh, yeah, he says hi.” I lie.

“No he didn’t,” Mogar chuckles. “Sorry to hear about the crime. Why did you call me?”

I take a deep breath. “We were wondering if you could move with me and Vav. We could really use an extra superhero around here. I hear things have gotten pretty quiet after you all thwarted Master Mind.”

There’s a long pause before Mogar answers. “Look, X-Ray, I would love to help, but you realize you’re asking me to move my life across the US to help you. What about my team here?”

“I understand. But can you at least consider it?”

“I don’t know, man,” Mogar sighs. “Can’t you ask Team Gentz?”

“They’re retired. Come on, Mogar,” I beg. Team Gentz was the super trio before Vav and I appeared on the scene. “I promise if things don’t go well, you can just go back to Brighton. Just give it a try.”

Mogar pauses. “Let me talk to some people. I’ll get back to you later, okay?”

I can’t help but frown. We really need him. “Yeah, that’s fine. Later.” I sigh as I hang up the phone. I turn around, Gavin is standing with his arms crossed. 

“What did he say?”

“He needs to think about it.” I walk around him to change out of my X-Ray costume. Time to change into regular old Ray.

“I don’t know why you even bothered! It’s not like we need him.” Gavin grumbles as he follows me into our changing room.

“Gavin, would you like to tell me what you think happened tonight?” I ask as I remove my X-Ray glasses.

“Sure,” Gavin shrugs. “We were stopping some robbers from stealing the ancient gem from the museum.”

“And then what happened?”

“We stopped them! That’s all.” Gavin grumbles.

“Okay, stupid. Here’s what happened. We almost died. There was a new villain that rolled in, pulled a stun gun on me, and I couldn’t move!” I remind him.

“Yeah, but it was fine! I managed to hold them off until the cops showed! The guy ran off and the robbers got arrested. What’s the problem?” Gavin grumbles.

“The problem is that we were cutting it a little close, don’t you think? Gavin, I just want us to be safe. And if anything happens to us, what’s going to happen to this city? The Gentz can come out of retirement, but they aren’t as limber as they used to be. How long can they possibly protect everyone? We need help, dude. And Mogar can help us.” I insist. I slide out of my X- Ray costume. 

“How can you be so sure? You just want to see your old friend again.” Gavin crosses his arms.

“Yeah, that will be a plus. But Aeravale comes first,” I finish getting dressed and put on my normal glasses. “Just give Michael a chance. I’m sure you’ll get along with him.”

“Bleh…” Gavin rolls his eyes.

“Come on, buddy,” I pat his back. “Let’s get home.”

We lock up our superhero base and slip out the back door. Our usual route is we stay hidden in the alleys until we’re far from the base. Then, we merge on the main streets of Aeravale and walk home.

“Another villain,” I whisper. “Buddy, where are they all coming from?”

“Who knows? But we can handle them.” Gavin replies with confidence.

I’m not so sure about that, Gavin…

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Man, I’m beat!” Gavin groans once I unlock the apartment door. “Ray, order a pizza or something.”

“Already on it.” I pull out my phone, pulling up a pizza app.

“You know, one of us should learn how to cook,” Gavin suggests and he plops down on the living room couch. “We can’t keep ordering food. We need to keep healthy.”

“You want to learn to cook? Be my guest.” I snort. I remember the last time I attempted to cook anything. It didn’t go very well. At least the fire apartment got here before the whole apartment complex burned down.

“I’m serious,” Gavin frowns. “Can that friend of yours cook?”

“Michael? I’m not sure,” I shrug. “Why don’t we hire our own personal chef?”

“With what money?” Gavin laughs. “Working as janitors at the mall don’t really pay as much.”

“Can we get a better job then? I fucking hate cleaning up after people.” I grumble.

“You know what, the mayor should pay us.” Gavin giggles. “If we weren't so nice, we would make him pay us to keep the city safe.”

“Yeah, okay. Great idea,” I laugh. “Our pizzas should be here in about half an hour.” I announce as my phone begins to ring. I check the caller ID. It’s Michael. “Huh. He has an answer already?” I answer my phone. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Michael responds. “So, what’s for dinner? I’m on my way now.”

“Really?!” I feel a grin spread across my face.

“Yeah. I talked to the team. I managed to get a last minute flight. I should be there in about four hours.” Michael explains.

“Great! Text me when you’ve landed and I’ll give you the address. We’ll start getting something ready for you. See you soon!” I say before hanging up. “Alright, Gavin. Michael is on his way.”

“Awww wot?!” Gavin squawks. “So soon? Why?!”

“Don’t whine. This is a good thing.” I assure him.

“Aww, bollocks…” Gavin pouts.

“What don’t you like about him?” I shrug. “What’s your problem?”

“It’s nothing…” Gavin continues to sulk.

“Gavin.” I cross my arms.

“It’s just that we were fine on our own!” Gavin grumbles.

“Stop being stubborn. I know you’re going to get along,” I promise him. “And, just in case you were thinking it, yes, you and I are still going to be best buds.”

“Really?” Gavin tries to keep a straight face, but can’t contain a smile.

“Of course. And you’re gaining another best friend. Now, help me clear out the office. That can be his room for the time being.”

“Fine.” Gavin sighs as he gets off the couch. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Jones, A.K.A Mogar, sits in an armchair across from Gavin. Nervously, he runs his hand through his brown curly locks. Gavin studies his every move. “Why the hell is he staring at me?” Michael asks in a gruff tone.

“Just ignore him,” I stand in the door way of the kitchen. “Gav, how about some tea?”

“I’ll make it!” Gavin tears his stare away from Michael and rushes into the kitchen.

“Michael, want anything to drink? Coffe, tea, soda?” I offer.

“Let me see what you have.” Michael gets off the armchair and joins us in the kitchen.

Gavin jiggles the knob on the stove. “Mingy little mung,” He grumbles. “The stove is broken again!”

“What’s wrong with it?” Michael peers over Gavin’s shoulder.

“Nothing,” Gavin answers swiftly. “It’s fine. I didn’t want tea, anyway.”

Michael lifts the kettle off the stove and holds it above his hand. A small flame sparks from Michael’s palm and begins to heat the water.

“It will be ready soon.” Michael announces.

“Just make sure the fire alarms don’t go off.” Gavin warns.

“It’s a low flame, Gavin. Relax.” Michael rolls his eyes.

“I am relaxed!” Gavin argues. “I’m just saying to be careful!”

“Gavin, relax. It’s fine.” I try to coax Gavin to let his guard down. I don’t know why he’s acting like this.

“Fine. I’m sorry.” Gavin bites his lip. The kettle starts to whistle and Michael pours the scalding water into Gavin’s mug. “Thanks, Micool.”

“Micool?” Michael repeats. “Can you not say my name correctly, or is that your goofy accent?” He laughs.

“Ay! Shut it!” Gavin’s cheeks begin to blush as Michael continues to laugh.

Oh, boy. What the hell have I started?


	2. A Song So Sweet

Gavin and I managed to convince our boss to hire Michael as a janitor at the mall. It will be easier if we work together.

“Why the fuck do we have to wear prison jumpsuits?” Michael growls as we leave clock out. He tugs at the rough material of the dark blue jumpsuit.

“They’re not prison jumpsuits, you big baby,” I roll my eyes. “Would you rather get your clothes dirty?”

“No.” Michael grumbles.

Gavin is silent. He walks up to the T.V in the employee lounge and turns up the volume.

“-Appears to be some kind of a riot heading for the mall. Police are trying to keep the situation under control. If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that X-Ray and Vav should arrive on the scene shortly.” The news anchor says.

“Hey, perfect! They’re heading right for us!” I nod. “Shall we go to our stop and get rid of our uniforms?”

“Don’t we have to run to the hero base to get our costumes?” Michael tilts his head.

“Nope. The ones at the base are backup suits,” Gavin lowers his collar of this jumpsuit to reveal the blue sheen of his Vav costume. “Always come prepared. We wear our costumes under our work uniforms. Just in case.”

“Aww, what? Well, what about me?! My fucking costume is at the apartment!” Michael rages.

“We’ll figure something out…” I glance around the room. I spot a paper bag. “Here,” I pick it up and hand it to him. “Cut holes for the eyes. This will do for now.”

“Really?” Michael raises his eyebrow. “My first appearance in a new city and I’m being introduced in a paper bag?! They need to see my signature black, red, and yellow!”

“Sucks for you, Micool,” Gavin giggles. “You should’ve worn your uniform, you donut.”

“Won’t it be too hot?!” Michael argues. “How are you two assholes not burning up?!”

“Breathable material. Feels like we’re not wearing it all it.” I explain. 

“That doesn’t make sense!” Michael argues.

“Sure it does. It’s superhero logic. Don’t question it.” Gavin nods.

“Looks like a new uniform is in order for you, my friend.” I add.

“Well, get out of the stupid jumpsuits and let’s go.” Michael grumbles.

“Are you stupid? There are security cameras everywhere. If we came in here as us, and then left in our costumes, people would know! We have to go to a specific spot.” Gavin reasons.

“Okay! Fine,” Michael folds the bag and stuffs it in his pocket. “Where’s the spot?”

“Follow,” I lead the way out of the employee lounge, down the hall, into the spot. There used to be an old security camera here years ago. No one every replaced it. “Okay. We’re safe. There’s no cameras in this hallway from this point. We can follow the hallway and it will loop us back to the main mall area.” I explain.

“This place is a fucking maze,” Michael fishes out the paper bag. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” He sighs as he pokes eyeholes into the bag.

I look over at Gavin. He’s already shed his work clothes and is standing proudly in his red and blue costume. I remove my X-Ray glasses from my jumpsuit pocket and switch out my glasses. I step out of the jumpsuit. Gavin and I dispose of our work uniforms in a nearby janitor’s closet.

Michael follows our lead, removing his jumpsuit, leaving himself in a plain white T-shirt and jeans. He throws his clothes in the closet. He sighs and slides the paper bag over his head.

Vav covers his mouth, to cover his smile. 

“What?!” Mogar shouts.

“It looks so silly, Micool!” Vav squawks.

“Shut up…” Mogar grumbles.

Screams and shouting gain our attention. “The riot! It’s here!” I start sprinting. “X-Raaaaaay!”

“And Vaaaav!” Vav shouts as he runs beside me.

“A-and Mogar!” Mogar stutters as he trails behind.

We come faced with utter chaos. People are running around in a panic and windows are getting smashed.

“X-Ray, what do we do? I can’t tell who is rioting and who’s just trying to get away.” Vav scratches his head.

“Gee, I wonder,” Mogar slaps his forehead. “Try aiming for the people DESTROYING THE FUCKING MALL!” he shouts.

“Oh, right.” Vav smiles, sheepishly.

“Okay, Vav, I’m going to need your slow mo hands,” I instruct. “Go around and slow as many rioters as you can. Mogar, round up any rioters that Vav can’t get to. I’m going to find out who’s responsible for this. People don’t just go crazy.”

“Got it!” Vav and Mogar agree and we split off in different directions.

Vav sends out waves of his slow mo as Mogar shoots fire from his fists, surrounding a good portion of rioters into a fire circle.

I bob and weave through the crowd. Most people have left in a hurry, so the mall is starting to empty out. This makes it easier to gather the small riot group.

“ _I’ll sing you a song and you’ll be under my spell,_ ” A female voice sings. What the hell? Who’s singing right now? “ _Captivated, so bitter sweet. Listen close, and it shall end well._ ”

I turn around and there she is. Skintight black costume, sun kissed skin, black hair, and bright brown eyes hidden beneath a black feather mask. I gulp. I’ve never been so intimidated by a villain before. So, why now?

She crooks a finger at me as her lips curl into a smile. “Come here.”

I approach her. What is she up to?

“Ah, you’re the famous X-Ray,” She wraps her arms around my neck. Play it cool, X-Ray. Let her monologue. It’s a villain’s biggest weakness. “I’m glad I could get your attention,” She drags her hand across my cheek, sending chills throughout my body. “I want you to do me a huge favor. Go ahead and stall your buddies while I escape. I’ll break you and all the others from the spell and then you won’t remember a thing. Sound good?”

“One question,” I hold up my index finger. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She frowns. “I’ve never had someone under my control talk back to me before.”

Under her control...? Ohhhhh. Got it. She sings her little chant thing and she controls people. “Uh, have you ever tried this on a hero before? We can talk back. Totally normal.” I nod. Her powers are slightly similar to someone I know…

She continues to frown. Something tells me that I didn’t trick her.

 “Pity. It didn’t work,” She narrows her eyes. “Now, I’ll have to get rid of you.” She pulls out a dagger.

I use my X-Ray beam to shoot it out of her hand. She tackles me to the ground.

“Oh, God where are the cops when you need them?!” I shout, trying to push her off of me. I grab her wrists, preventing her from grasping my neck.

“If you would hold still, this would be over with!” The girl grunts as she tries to fight me.

“Why in God’s name would I do that?!” I shout.

“Damn it! It’s such a shame I have to kill you. You’re kinda cute.” She pouts.

My heart pounds in my chest. No one has ever called me cute. Especially not a villain. “Then don’t kill me.”

“Nice try.”

 “Who are you? And what do you want?” I ask. “Why are you doing this?”

“It’s not what I want. I’m just a distraction.” She smirks.

“A distraction? For what?!” I narrow my eyes.

“Babe, time to go!” A male voice booms. “It’s already done. Come on!” I look around. The voice seems to be coming from a walkie- talkie she had on her.

“Babe, huh?” I repeat. “You have some nerve to straddle me, call me cute, and not be single.”

The woman chuckles. “What? I can’t have a little fun?” She springs off of me and runs to a broken window. 

“Wait!” I shout after her. To my surprise, she stops. “Who are you?” I ask a second time.

She turns around, smiling. “Songbird.”

 “Songbird,” I feel my lips tingle as the name escapes my lips… What the hell? Why am I getting all sappy now?! “Will I have to face you again?”

She pauses before answering. “I sincerely hope so.” She smiles before sprinting out the window.

Oh, right! The rioters! I turn around to help. All the rioters are on the ground, some are knocked out and others are holding their heads. Are they all back to normal now?

“X-Ray! Are you alright?” Vav rushes to me.

“I’m fine.” I look to the broken window. Songbird…

“The cops are here. We should brief them,” Mogar suggests. “Vav, why don’t you go grab our clothes while X-Ray and I handle the police. We’ll change and sneak out afterwards.”

“On it.” Vav nods and starts heading to the back hallways.

“Oh no…” Mogar grumbles.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“The media decided to show up with the cops…” 

I chuckle. “Well, get ready for your big debut here in Aeravale. Paper bag mask and all.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Wot did the cops say? Are the rioters going to jail?” Gavin asks as we walk back to the apartment.

“Nah. Ray explained that they were being controlled.” Michael waves his hand.

“It’s so strange,” I comment absently. “The rioters didn’t remember a thing. I’ve never seen that before. I have so many questions. You know, we should pay Jack a visit. I bet he could help us.”

Speak of the devil, Jack Pattillo pulls up beside us. “Need a lift?” he unlocks his car. “Hey, Michael. I’m Jack.”

“You… You’re Mind Jacked! I’ve heard so many stories about you and Team Gentz,” Michael stares in awe. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“That’s nice. But you can just call me Jack.”

“Jack, how did you-?” Gavin begins to ask.

“Gavin,” Jack interrupts. “I predict the future and I read minds. Did you forget? I saw this coming. Now get in,” He points to the back seat. Without arguing, we pile into the car and he drives. 

“So, how do you all know each other?” Michael asks.

“Jack, Geoff, and Ryan, or you know them as Mind Jacked, Lazer, and The Mad King, helped Gav and I train. Once we were ready, the Gentz were able to take a step back.” I explain.

“But we still keep in touch. Gavin and Ray are our friends. And, of course, now that you are here, Michael, you’re stuck with us, too. If you ever need anything, just get in contact with one of the Gentz.” Jack offers. “But that’s enough of that for now. Down to business. Ray, tell me everything you know about this Songbird.”

“Well… from what I gather, she sings this little song and that’s how she controls people.” I say.

“She tried controlling you. I saw that part,” Jack explains. “What she doesn’t understand is that it takes a lot of energy and years of experience to control a superhero. Regular humans are easy.”

“Wot do you mean?” Gavin chirps.

“Super heroes have a stronger resistance. This girl is new to being a villain. She not strong enough to override a hero’s mind. Besides, when she left, the spell broke, right? If she was stronger, she could control people without being there. She had to be in the area for the spell to take effect. That’s why they all snapped out of it as soon as she left the general area.” Jack continues.

“How long did it take the famous Mind Jacked to be able to manipulate the minds of heroes?” I smirk.

“Ah, I haven’t heard that name in a while,” Jack reminisces. “Anyway, you boys should be careful. I got a small glimpse of what was coming.”

“What is it?” I sit up.

“I couldn’t tell. I’ll let you know when it becomes clearer. I have a feeling it has something to do with the increased villain activity. And that Songbird might be involved. But for now, try and stay safe. There’s a new villain in town. And he’s not here to fuck around. I’ve never sensed anything like this.” Jack pulls up to our apartment. “If you need anything, you have my number.”

“I thought you were retired?” Michael asks.

“I am. But from what I saw, you boys are going to need as much help as possible.”

I gulp. This cannot be good. Songbird, what are you up to?

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“-Ancient artifacts were stolen from the museum earlier this evening. Cops were unable to make it on time to stop this robbery due to the riot at the mall across town. The riot comprised of forty individuals that were apparently under mind control. Suspects claim not to remember the incident.” The news anchor reports the news.

Michael is on the edge of his seat. “Don’t talk about me. Don’t talk about me...” He repeats over and over.

“They’re totally going to mention all of us,” I assure him. “Watch.”

“-Luckily, X-Ray and Vav were on the scene, along with a new hero,” A picture of Mogar with the bag over his head appears on the screen. “No name was revealed. X-Ray, Vav, and Bag Man are here to protect us. We should all feel secure.”

“GOD DAMN IT! I TOLD THEM IT WAS MOGAR! MOGAAAAAR!” Michael screams, slamming his fist into the coffee table. 

Gavin and I start laughing uncontrollably.

“Bloody Bag Man?!” Gavin lets out a throaty laugh.

“That’s fucking incredible!” I laugh, clenching my stomach. 

X-Ray, Vav, and Bag Man, huh? Works for me.

 


	3. Addiction

_Ah, you’re the famous X-Ray._

I jolt awake. That voice is seared into my mind. Songbird has found a way into my dreams. Ever since I met her yesterday, I haven’t felt the same. I catch myself thinking about her and now I’m dreaming about her. All I can think about now is how excited I am to see her again. If I can only hear her voice one more time… I shake my head and rise out of bed. Maybe I can forget her. 

After getting dressed, I walk out to the kitchen. Michael is sitting at the kitchen table.

“Where’s Gavin? Still sleeping?” I ask as I scan the fridge for something quick.

“Yeah. The mall is closed for the next two days. I guess we have some time off.” Michael answers.

“Hey, lucky us. We should enjoy this. At least until trouble hits the city.”

“True,” Michael nods. “So should we do some investigation on the missing artifacts from the museum?”

“We should, but we have to be careful. Any ideas?” I ask.

“Obviously, we should check around the museum. There has to be some kind of clue they left behind.” Michael suggests.

“Good point.” I nod. I close the fridge. There’s nothing good to eat. I’m not that hungry, anyway.

My phone vibrates. I check my text messages.

_Sadie: So, mall is closed. Are you free?_

I smile down at my phone as I answer her. Sadie and I have gone on a few dates here and there. She’s pretty cool.

_Ray: Yeah. Meet me on the first floor in five minutes._

“What the hell are you smiling at?” Michael cringes. “What is wrong with you?”

“Hey, you think you and Gavin can handle the investigation for a while? I’m going out for a bit.” I grab my wallet and start heading for the door.

“I thought we were all going to go! Where are you going?!” Michael eyes widen in surprise.

“I have a date,” I smile as I open the front door. “See you later.”

“Wait! You’re leaving me? With GAVIN?!”

“Yeah, thanks for understanding, buddy!” I close the apartment door before he could yell at me. They will be fine.

I jog down the steps. It’s hard trying to date as a superhero. You have to be on your guard and learn not to trust people. But Sadie and I have so much in common. It’s easy to relax around her. I really like her. I almost want to say I love her. At least, she’s as close as I’m getting to loving someone. 

“Ray!” Sadie’s face lights up once she sees me.

“Hello” I cup my hands around her face and press my lips to hers. “How are you?”

“Good. Long time, no talk. You’ve been busy.” She crosses her arms.

“I know and I’m sorry. I just wish I had more time. If it makes you feel better, all I can do is think about you when you’re not around.” I caress her cheek.

I hear a disgusted groan behind me. I whip around to find Gavin and Michael standing behind me. “Gross, man. When did you get so sappy?!” Michael cringes.

“He’s always like that around Sadie. It’s normal.” Gavin assures him.

Sadie clears her throat. “Hello, Gavin,” She rolls her eyes. “I believe we haven’t met yet. I’m Sadie.” Sadie directs her attention to Michael.

“I’m Ray’s new roommate, Michael,” He introduces himself then turns to me. “This is why you’re ditching us? To go on a date? We already had plans!” He grits his teeth.

“Oh, didn’t realize you wanted Ray. Sorry, boys, he’s with me today. Why don’t the two of you go on a date?” Sadie smirks at Gavin and Michael.

Oh, boy. Here we go again.

“What did she just say to me?!” Michael narrows his eyes and steps forward.

“No, Micool, she’s always like this,” Gavin places his hand on Michael’s chest. “Don’t feed into her drama.”

“Come on guys! Don’t be like this.” I grumble. 

“Well, I guess I can find something else to do. Go be with your friends. I understand that you have no time for me.” Sadie sighs and walks out of the apartment complex.

I start to chase after her, but Michael grabs my arm. “Are you serious, bro? We have more important things to focus on!”

“Look, man. She’s important to me, too! I’ll help with the investigation, but just let me spend two hours with her. I don’t want to upset her.” I beg.

“What the hell happened to the Ray I used to know? Why are you with her? She’s being a total bitch to us!” Michael shouts.

“She always does that.” Gavin informs Michael.

“Well, Ray shouldn’t be with someone who’s mean to his friends.” Michael growls.

“I get that she can be a bit mean sometimes. But the problem between you three. It has nothing to do with me.” I argue.

“Just let him go,” Gavin rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to this.”

“Guys, please. She’s all I have right now.” I plea.

“I guess we mean nothing,” Michael snorts. “Come on, Gav. Let’s go look for clues.” Michael walks away. Gavin pauses and gives me a disappointed look before turning around to follow Michael.

Ugh… I’ll apologize to them later. I need to find Sadie. I leave the apartment complex and start scanning the busy streets.

“What took you so long?” 

The voice makes me jump. I turn around. Sadie is leaning against the apartment building. 

“Sorry about that. What shall we do?” I ask as I take her hand.

“Hmm… I could go for some ice cream.” She smiles.

“Alright, that sounds fair.” I nod. Whatever keeps that cute face smiling.

_Damn it! It’s such a shame I have to kill you. You’re kinda cute._

I gulp. Don’t start. Keep that angelic voice out of your head. You’re with Sadie right now.

“Ray, are you okay?” Sadie tilts her head.

“Yeah, babe. I’m fine.” I fake a smile. I shouldn’t worry her. This voice in my head will go away if I ignore it.

We walk in silence until we walk into the ice cream parlor. “Anyway, I’m thinking after ice cream, we can catch a movie?” She asks.

I bite my lip as we approach the cashier. “I would love to, but I just can’t afford that right now. How about a nice walk in the park instead?”

“For someone who works a lot, you don’t make a lot of money. You don’t have a drug problem, do you?” Sadie smirks.

“The only drug I’m addicted to is you, my dear.” I grin. Even though I say that, my real addiction at the moment is that sweet voice I can’t get out of my head.

“Oh, barf.” The cashier gags.

I snap my head in the cashier’s direction and glare. The cashier is a woman maybe a little younger than me. Her black hair is pulled back into a ponytail. It’s hard to get a good look at her face with the hat shadowing her face. 

“Go ahead and sit, Sadie. I’ll get your ice cream.” I tell her, not tearing my glare away from the cashier.

“Okay.” I can hear the annoyance in Sadie’s voice. If I didn’t send her away, there would be some kind of a scene. That’s how Sadie is. She speaks her mind and doesn’t back down. 

Sadie wanders to a table. “That was terrible,” The cashier said, a smirk growing on her face. “Are you always this pathetic?”

“Can I have two chocolate ice cream cones, please?” I order, ignoring her comment.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should take your love drug somewhere else. I wouldn’t want my customers to start acting like you two.”

“Look,” I slap the money on the counter, ignoring her snide remarks. “I’m a paying customer. Two chocolate cones,” I glance at her name tag. “Melody.”

“Heh,” She chuckles as she pushes buttons on the register. “So you get to know my name? What’s your name?”

“Ray.” I answer, flatly. 

“How long have you and your girl been together?” She asks as she places the money into the register.

“We’ve been dating for a few weeks. I don’t see why that’s your business.” I grumble.

Melody walks away for a moment and comes back with the ice cream cones. “You have some nerve.” She chuckles, handing over the ice cream

“Whatever. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” I roll my eyes and walk towards the table. “Can we take the ice cream to go? That girl is fucking irritating.” I whisper to Sadie. She nods in agreement and stands up. We walk to the door.

“Bye, Ray. Maybe I’ll see you around,” Melody waves as we rush out. “I  _sincerely_  hope so.” The door closes behind us.

Did she just…

I freeze. That voice. Why didn’t I recognize it sooner?!

Sadie pulls on my arm. “Ugh! Who does she think she is? Was she hitting on you?”

“Y-yeah,” I stammer. “That’s what it was it. She’s so weird.” Keep calm, Ray. It’s just a coincidence. That girl couldn’t be Songbird.

Songbird…

_“Will I have to face you again?”_

_“I sincerely hope so.”_

“Earth to Ray!” Sadie snaps her fingers. “Did you hear me? I said thanks for the ice cream, but I have to get to work. It’s an emergency. They’re low on staff tonight.”

“Okay, that’s cool. We’ll hang out some other time.” I answer, absently. 

Sadie tilts her head. “Where’s my goodbye kiss? You’re so distant today.”

I shake my head. “Sorry, Sadie.” I plant a kiss on her cheek. “I’m just worried about Michael and Gavin.” I make up an excuse.

I can tell she’s still not happy with that response. “It’s fine. See you around.” She continues walking on. When she’s a good distance away, I rush back to the ice cream parlor. I have to see her.

I bust through the door. There’s a new cashier. “Dude, where’s the chick that was just up here? Where’s Melody?”

I can’t explain it, but I long to hear her voice again. Even if it is just to taunt me.

“Melody just left. Her shift ended.” The new cashier answers.

“Fuck!” I sprint out the door. She couldn’t have gotten that far! I start running in a random direction. She has to be near. She just has to be.

I don’t even know if this is where she ran, but I keep going. I have to know. I need to know if that was really Songbird. I need to talk to her. Wait… No. I have to fight her. She’s the enemy, right? So, I should fight her? Yeah, fight. She’s not good. She’s not like me. She will try to hurt me at any moment.

But whatever happens, god dammit, can she just talk to me again?

“Whoa,” A hand is pushed into my chest. I’m out of breath. Michael and Gavin are standing in front of me. “Ray? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Michael comments.

“I’m fine, but I need to go.” I try to walk around them.

“Wait, Ray!” Gavin grabs my wrist. “About Sadie… I’m sorry. I know we don’t get along, but if you like her, I’ll just be nice.”

“Gav, can we talk about this later?” I peek behind them. Maybe she’s just up ahead.

“Speaking of Sadie, where is she? Aren’t you supposed to be on a date?” Michael crosses his arms.

Dammit, why would I run into them at a time like this? “Guys, I might have a lead on the investigation, but I have to go!” I push past them. “Keep searching! I’ll report back later!” I should back at them.

“Ray?” I hear Gavin call after me.

Where the hell did you go?!

“Ray!” Gavin’s voice is a little louder now. I stop running. Gavin catches up to me. “Dude, what’s the bloody hell is going on?” Gavin asks as Michael follows behind him.

“Songbird… She was here…” I pant as I try to catch my breath. Boy, I’m out of shape. I wasn’t even running that long.

“Bollocks…” Gavin pushes his hair back.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure this is going to work?” I grit my teeth. This is stupid. This can’t possibly work.

“Of course,” Vav answers, confidently. “So, this is the place she works?”

“Yeah,” I feel my cheeks begin to blush. Everyone in the ice cream parlor is staring at us. Of course, it’s not every day that three superheroes walk in for ice cream. “One of you guys ask.”

“I’ll go,” Mogar offers, his red costume shimmers in the light. “Excuse me,” Mogar approaches the front counter. “We need to speak to the manager,” The employee nods and walks away. “This is never going to work.” Mogar whispers.

A middle aged man walks out. I’m assuming he’s the manager. “Ah, X-Ray and Vav and… Bag Man?”

“No no no,” Mogar growls. “It’s Mogar. This is who I am. The bag was to hide my face. I have a mask now.” Michael points to his black eye mask.

“Well, what can I do for you boys?”

“We need the files on your employee, Melody. We believe she has something to do with the recent robberies.” Vav explains.

“Melody? Really?” The man looks surprised. “She’s such a sweet girl. She would never hurt anyone!”

“Sir, I’m sure that’s not remotely true. We still need some information on her.” Mogar reasons.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Melody quit today. I have no idea why. But, anyway, we don’t have her information anymore.”

That’s impossible. I was here just an hour ago. She quit and they got rid of her file that quick? I don’t buy it. “There must be something you can offer us.” I insist. “This is relevant to our case.”

“Well,” The manager hesitates. “I overheard her talking about a second job. It’s a night job. She’s a bartender. I don’t know where.”

“Thanks for your time,” I sigh. I grab Vav and Mogar by the arms and drag them out. “Well, that didn’t help. Do you know how many bars are in Aeravale?”

Vav grins. “I suppose there’s only one way to find her. Let’s go bar hopping!”

“Hell yeah! I’m down with that!” Mogar nods. “Come on, X-Ray. What do you say?”

“You all know I don’t drink.” I remind them.

“Yeah, but we’re not going to drink. We need to find your chick.” Mogar teases.

“What are you talking about?” I feel my cheeks begin to burn.

“Dude, you’re so hot for this Songbird. We saw you rolling around on the floor yesterday.” Mogar chuckles. 

“She was trying to kill me!” I argue.

“Ever since you met her, you zone out randomly.” Mogar says.

 “And you went nuts trying to find her earlier.” Vav continues.

“All of that means nothing.” I grumble.

“Come on,” Mogar presses on. “We gotta find your girlfriend. I wonder how Sadie’s going to react when she finds out you’re cheating on her.”

“It’s not cheating. Sadie and I are not official.” I huff.

“But you didn’t deny wanting Songbird.” Vav squawks.

“Alright! Let’s go bar hopping if it shuts you two up!” I growl. They’re wrong. I’m not into her. I can’t be. I can’t want her.

But, damn, I do want her. All I want to do is hear her voice again, get a better look at her face, and maybe that will get her off my mind. I need to see her to convince myself that I don’t need her. Hell, this isn’t about the investigation anymore. This is to cure this sick addiction.

_“Will I have to face you again?”_

_“I sincerely hope so.”_

 


	4. Sparks

The lights are dim and the bass is loud. We checked all the bars in Aeravale. No sight of Songbird. Michael and Gavin had the bright idea to check out some of the local clubs. Believe me, this is the last place I would want to be. The air is thick and muggy. I push past the crowd of sweaty bodies, trying to locate my friends. Of course, they’ve had a bit to drink. They decided to buy a beer or a shot from every place we stopped at. Gavin is thrashing and hopping on the dance floor. Michael sits at the nearby bar top, watching his every move.

I steal the stool next to Michael. “Okay, it’s safe to say that she’s not here.” I shout over the music.

Michael doesn’t tear his eyes away from Gavin. He takes a slow sip from his beer. “Let’s stay for a few more minutes.” The smell of alcohol is strong on Michael.

“Why? We have three more clubs to check out.” I remind him.

“Look at him,” He points. I look over at Gavin. He drunkenly jumps with the beat and shouting the lyrics at the top of his lungs. He looks like he’s having fun. “Out of the few days I’ve been here, I’ve never seen him have this much fun. Can’t we stay a little longer? Let him have some fun.”

“Yeah,” I nod. “Gavin deserves to have a little fun.” I look back at Michael, studying his face. “Why don’t you go join him?”

“Me?” Michael finally looks away from Gavin. “Why?”

“Go make sure he has a good night,” I nudge his arm. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll chill off to the side until you all are ready to go home.”

“I should keep him company… Just to be nice, I suppose…” Michael clears his throat. 

“Just go, you asshole. Stop acting like you don’t want to spend time with him.” I smirk.

“Alright,” Michael’s lips curl into a lazy smile. “But, while I’m gone,” Michael waves down the bartender. “Ay! Get this man a shot of vodka, straight. Add it to my tab. And make sure he doesn’t just give it away.” Michael orders and hops off the stool.

“Michael, no! You know I don’t drink!” I try to stop him. It’s too late. He’s on a path straight to Gavin. “Fuck…” I grumble as the shot is placed in front of me. I really don’t want this. “Uh,” I get the bartender’s attention. “Is there any way I can just leave this? I really don’t drink.”

“Sorry, your friend says you need to drink it. Come on, it’s one shot. You won’t get drunk off of it.” He chuckles.

“I know,” I grit my teeth. “I just don’t like the taste of alcohol.”

“Then, drink it quick. It won’t take long.”

Ugh… “Fuck my life.” I sigh. I pick up the shot and force it down. “Yep,” I wince. “That’s still disgusting.” I place the shot glass on the counter and walk away. The club scene isn’t really for me. I don’t drink and I really don’t care for stranger trying to grind on me. It’s just not my thing. I’d much rather just be at home right now.

I scan the crowd for Michael and Gavin. I spot Michael dancing close to Gavin, leaning in to talk into his ear. I’m sure they’re thinking nothing of it. To them, they’re just two friends that are dancing and talking over the music. To the rest of the world, it seems like much more.

Hmm… Gavin and Michael? Mavin. Yeah, I like that. Who would’ve guessed?  Well, whatever. If they start banging, I don’t want to hear it. As long as I don’t know it’s happening, we can all be cool. Maybe we can double date. Then again, Sadie doesn’t really get along with Michael and Gavin. I wonder how Melody would act around them.

Stop. Melody is Songbird. Songbird is the enemy.

Speaking of the enemy, what makes us so sure that she’s even working tonight? For all we know, she could have a day off. Where could she be? I just… I really want to see her.

Michael spots me and flags me down. I shake my head. Gavin turns around, pouts, and begins waving to me. I sigh and push my way to them. 

“You should dance!” Gavin slurs. “Have fun!”

“Nah. I’ll just wait off to the side for you guys to get done.” I inform them.

“Come on, Ray. Just dance!” Michael insists. “Or are you worried that your little Songbird will think less of you?” He teases.

“I don’t give a flying fuck what she would think of me.” I huff. Besides, she’s not even here…

“Well, in case she does care, you should try to make her jealous. Go dance with a girl.” Michael laughs.

I press my lips together. “Yeah. Okay.” I turn away and scan the crowd.

“Wait is he really going to? I was joking!” I hear Michael laughing as I walk farther away from them.

God, I have no idea what I’m doing here. I can’t dance, I’m not smooth, and I’m not very charming. I try to make eye contact with some girl. This late in the night, most girls are already drunk and paired off or dancing with their friends. Man, I am so out of my element here.

I feel a hand grasp mine. I’m being pulled in the opposite direction. A girl with dark hair releases my hand and dances close to me. The dim lights and the random flashes of light make it hard to get a look at her face.

“You look lost.” She presses her body close to mine.

I gulp. I’ve never been so intimidated by a stranger before. She’s very forward. “Uh, yeah. I was trying to find someone to dance with.”

“Good thing I’m here,” I notice a smile flashes across her face. “Dance with me.”

A simple request that makes me weak in the knees. Who is this girl and why am I getting weak over her? 

The heavy beat beings to slow down as the club transitions into a slower song. There’s still a little bass in the song, making it easier to sway to. It’s always rare for a club to play a soft song, but at this moment, I’m a glad that they played one now. Without hesitation, I place my hands on her hips and they fit perfectly in the curves. Her arms wrap around my neck. We sway gently to the music. 

“Come here often?” Her lips whisper near my ear. I can hear the playful tone in her voice.

I can actually hear her clearly. That sweet, angelic tone, that addicting voice. It’s her. It’s Melody. It has to be.

I pull my head away from her to get a better look. Black hair, chocolate brown eyes, tan skin. This is the first time I get a good look at her face. “Have we met before?” I should pull away, but something is keeping me near. I don’t want to let her go. 

I’m mesmerized…

“You remember me,” She grins. “I didn’t mean to harass you earlier. Where is your girlfriend, anyway?”

“She’s not really my girlfriend, so don’t you worry about her,” No matter how hard I try, I can’t hold back my smile. I wanted to see Melody so bad and now here she is. I shouldn’t be this excited. I have to remember to be careful. She could be dangerous. “I know that you know who I am.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Melody shrugs. “You’re Ray. And we just met today. I’ve never met you before this.”

She had to be messing with me. “Stop it.” I frown.

“I mean it,” She pouts. “I, Melody, have met you, Ray, just today.”

“Hmm…” I find myself getting lost in her gaze. This is not safe. I should leave. But… maybe… just a moment longer. If she really is Songbird, she won’t attack me. She’s not in costume. Besides, Michael and Gavin aren’t far. “Fair enough.”

“It’s so odd,” She rests her forehead on mine. She’s so close. I have no problem hearing her. The music sounds drowned out. All I can focus on is her. “A slow song at a club?”

“I’m not complaining. I get to be this close to you.” The words slip out of my mouth. I shouldn’t have said that, but my body is completely taking over. I move closer, my lips just over hers. 

Don’t do it. She could be the enemy.

“What are you doing, sir?” Melody bites her lip.

“Something I really shouldn’t do,” I whisper. Hesitantly, I close the small gap between our lips. I feel alive. The moment my lips touched hers, I felt an electric jolt, warming my body instantly. I hear a small, small surprised squeak escape her lips. My hand tangles in her hair to deepen the kiss. 

I hear the bass pick up again, and the dancing bodies around us begin to move with the music. Melody and I remain wrapped up in each other’s arms. At this moment, I don’t care where I’m at. I just need her.

Melody pulls away, leaving us breathless. She takes my hand and leads me off the dance floor. It gets easier to breathe once we’re away from the crowd. My mind is racing, and my heart is pounding. I don’t know where this is leading and I don’t know the consequences. But just let this go on a little longer. Just don’t let it end here. I just want more.

Melody leans against a wall. My hands rest on either side of her, trapping her between me and the wall. She grabs my hoodie, pulling me close. We reconnect our lips, rekindling that spark. We let out a soft sigh, relieved to be close to each other again. 

I don’t care that we are “that couple” in the club. You know, the ones you see practically groping without shame. None of that matters. The world can go ahead and stare. In this moment, her body is against mine and this is all I’ve been wanting since I met her.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and I’m being ripped off of Melody. “Dude,” I glare at the man before me. He has brown hair and green eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Dustin, please,” Melody whimpers. “That wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Really?” The man, Dustin, doesn’t break eye contact with me. His angry eyes bore into me. “It looks like this asshole was about to swallow your tongue. Wait outside.” He demands.

“But, Dustin-” Melody begins to protest.

“I said, outside!” He grits his teeth. 

Melody shrinks back and rushes outside.

My blood begins to boil. “Don’t yell at her.” I warn. I don’t know what is up with me tonight. This isn’t like me. I don’t drink, I don’t dance, I don’t make out with people I don’t know, and I DEFINITELY don’t pick fights with strangers. 

“Who the hell are you?! You’re just some random guy. Don’t tell me how to talk to my girlfriend, okay, wise guy?” Dustin growls.

Michael and Gavin are instantly by my side. “What the fuck is going on over here?!” Michael’s Jersey accent slips back out. This is a usual occurrence when he’s drunk.

“Ay, why don’t you step off, you mong.” Gavin rolls up his sleeves.

“Really? You got a little posse? How cute.” Dustin smirks. “You need stay away from my girlfriend.”

“Gee,” I shoot back. “If you were such a man, she wouldn’t have to stray.”

“You better hope I never see you again.” Dustin sneers as he backs away.

“Oooooooh! I’m terrified!” I shout after him, sarcastically.

Dustin glances back, shooting me an evil look. Whatever, dude. I’m probably never going to see you again.

“That asshole. Something seems familiar about him. I can’t figure out why… anyway,” Michael pats my back. “That was awesome! And we saw that bit of action you were getting. Not bad!”

I can still feel the rush of holding Melody. Her touch and her kiss are seared into my mind. And just when I thought I could forget her, I’m longing for more.

“Let’s get a cab. I think we had enough excitement for tonight.” I run my fingers through my hair.

“Really? What about Songbird?” Gavin asks.

“Oh, her…” I stall. “I don’t think she’ll be out this late. We should really get home. Besides, you and Michael are fucking drunk. You’ll never be able to focus like that.”

“Micool,” Gavin grins. “He’s right.”

“Yeah, okay. Let’s get home.” Michael agrees.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_You look lost._

I flip over. Just stop. I need to get some sleep.

_Good thing I’m here. Dance with me._

I let out a deep sigh. I don’t know what came over me tonight. Melody… Who are you exactly?

Let’s think about this. Songbird and Melody might be the same person. But I don’t know that for sure. For all I know, they could be two separate people. With that in mind, I don’t know who Melody is, yet I had the strangest reaction to her. I longed for her. I felt the need to kiss her. But she’s a stranger. Why do I have this strong of a feeling over someone I didn’t know?

_“What are you doing, sir?”_

_“Something I really shouldn’t do.”_

I slap my forehead. Real smooth, Narvaez. You couldn’t say something better than that?

The worst thing about this fucked up situation is that I’m not even worried about the case and I’m not thinking about the upcoming danger. All I can think about it how I didn’t get to say goodbye to Melody. I don’t know when I’ll see her next and I couldn’t even ask if I could see her again. Hell, I couldn’t get one stupid clue. When it comes to Melody and the investigation, I’m back to square one. I shouldn’t this worried over a girl I barely know. It really is like an addiction. I’m not satisfied unless I get one taste of her.

Pull it together. I need to focus on the task at hand. We need to find the plan of Songbird and the rest of the villains, we need to recover the stolen artifacts, and put an end to this upcoming shit storm that’s supposed to hit the city. But, where do we go from here?

_“Will I have to face you again?”_

_“I sincerely hope so.”_

I’m going to have to hold that to you, Songbird. I hope I do see you again. But next time, I won’t be easily fooled. 

 


	5. Just a Warning

“Man, I’m almost embarrassed that it had come to this,” Gavin sighs as we walk up to the front porch. “You think he’ll be able to help?”

“Has Jack ever let us down before?” I ask as I knock on the door. Instead of Jack answering like we thought, Geoff opens the door.

“Ah, my boys!” Geoff opens the door wider. “Come in!”

“Geoff? Where’s Jack?” I ask as we shuffle in. Michael’s eyes pop open, surprised to see another one of his hero’s standing before him.

“He went to buy more drinks. He knew you were coming over, so he invited us.”

“Us?!” Gavin squawks. “Is Ryan here, too?!” He smiles. 

Geoff points to the kitchen. “He’s getting ready to eat. He brought his daughter, too,” Geoff directs his attention to Michael. “Hey, you’re that fire kid on the Element Squad in Brighton City, right? What are you doing here?”

“Uh, I’ve been recruited by Ray and Gavin to help out around here. My name is Michael.” Michael reaches out to shake Geoff’s hand. 

“Nice to meet you. Good to see more heroes around.” Geoff nods. “Have you guys ever met Ashlynn?” Geoff asks, switching the subject.

“I know Ryan has talked about her.” I answer as we follow Geoff into the warm kitchen.

Ryan is sitting at the table, a petite girl sitting on his lap. The girl has light brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She resembles her mother, Riley, with the exception of the brown hair.

“Ashlynn, want another bread roll?” Ryan offers the small child.

“Yes, please!” Ashlynn reaches out for it.

“Hey, Rye,” Geoff leans against the wall. “Gavin and Ray are here. And this is Michael. He’s the new hero in town.”

“Oh,” Ryan lifts his daughter off his lap. “Here, Princess. You can sit here.” Ryan gets out of the seat and places Ashlynn on the chair. “Boys!” Ryan booms. “Good to see you.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Gavin nods. “Ryan, you seem to be losing your power.” He teases.

“Ha! You wish I was,” Ryan smirks as he walks over to the refrigerator and lifts it up with ease. “I can pick up something heavier. What do you want me to bench press?” 

 Jack comes into the kitchen, hold bags in his arms. “My fridge! Ryan, come on!” Jack whines. “If you’re going to lift things, do it somewhere else! If something goes wrong, my wife will kill me when she comes back in a week.” He sets down the grocery bags down on the counter.

“Okay, okay, sorry.” Ryan laughs as he gently places the refrigerator back in its place.

“Daddy’s still strong!” Ashlynn cheers.

“That’s right,” Ryan smiles proudly. “Ashlynn, these are some friends of mine.” Ryan gestures towards us.

“I’m Gavin and this is Ray and Michael.” Gavin points to us.

“Hello.” Ashlynn hides her face behind the back rest of the chair.

“She’s a bit shy.” Ryan informs us. “I have no idea where she got that from.”

“I had no idea you had a family. That’s incredible! She’s adorable. I assume she takes after her mother.” Michael comments innocently.

Gavin and I exchange worried glances.

Ryan’s face softens and his eyes switch to Ashlynn. “Yeah,” he responds in a soft tone. “She looks just like her mother.”

Michael glances around the room, noticing the room’s atmosphere changed. “Oh… fuck, I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”

“No, it’s fine,” Ryan insists. “My wife died four years ago. Ashlynn was only two.”

“Oh…” Michael bites his lip. “How did she die?”

Ryan looks at the floor.

“Michael,” I say cautiously. “You already know. Remember the Red Herring?” 

Michael pauses to think. “Well, I heard that she was killed during battle, but I don’t know how or with who…Oh…” He says once he realizes. “I had no idea that the Red Herring was your wife.”

“No one knew. Just us,” Geoff points around the room. “Let’s, uh… Change the subject for now, okay? We can talk about this later.” Geoff suggests. It’s a good idea. We should be very careful when mentioning Riley around Ryan. We don’t want to trigger any… episodes.

Michael nods. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Ryan offers a weak smile. “Anyway, Ashlynn can fly, just like Riley. She’s getting better at it.”

“I’m not allowed to tell anyone at school. Right Daddy?” Ashlynn peeks over the chair.

“That’s right, Princess. The only people that can know about your power, are the people in this room.” Ryan reminds her.

“Okay.” Ashlynn nods.

“Anyway,” Jack points to the stove. “We have plenty of beef soup.”

“Mine.” I instantly go for the bowls. Hey, it’s free food.

“Thanks, Jack,” Michael says, getting a bowl. 

“Hey, Jack, we were wondering if we could ask a few questions. We’re a little stuck.” Gavin admits as he gets food.

“Questions can come later,” Jack waves his hand. “Relax and eat. It’s been so long since we’ve all been together like this.”

Gavin and Michael gather around the table. Ryan and Geoff joins them. 

“Hey, Ray,” Jack gestures me over once the group is distracted. “Why don’t we eat outside?”

“Uh, sure, Jack.” I give him a confused look as I follow him outside.

Jack settles on the porch. He pats the empty spot next to him.

“I’m not about to get the sex talk, am I?” I ask as I sit.

“Ha. Close. But not yet,” Jack chuckles. “I had an interesting vision last night.”

“Yeah?” Ohhh, boy, I’m not going to like where this goes.

“What’s going on between you and Songbird?”

“Nothing, man. She’s the enemy.” I shrug.

“Ray, you’re lying to a man who can see the future,” Jack reminds me. “As you know, the future is determined by actions. So, the future can be easily changed. Let’s try and change what I saw.”

“What did you see?” I ask, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Ray… I saw your death.”

I drop the spoon into the bowl. “I’m sorry, what?!”

“Songbird will literally be the death of you. I’m only saying this because I care. I want you to be careful around her.” He warns me.

“How?” 

“Ray, that’s not important. You need to keep away from her. From some of my visions, I can see you’ve grown an attachment to this girl. You have to live, Ray.” Jack continues.

I can remember the taste of her lips… “I’ll be fine, Jack,” I lie. “I absolutely hate this girl. She’s our enemy. I don’t plan on falling for her.”

Jack gives me an unsure look. “Just be careful, Ray. I think you may have found your weakness.”

I stand up. “Jack, I’ll be fine.” I insist. Melody wouldn’t hurt me. That’s obvious. But Songbird, however…

Jack follows me back into the house. “Gavin, Michael,” I call their attention. “Didn’t you have questions for Jack?”

“Oh, right!” Gavin nods. “Jack, can you help us out?”

“You need help now? Shouldn’t you be saving the research facility down town? It’s getting attacked soon.”

My eyes shoot open. “What?!”

“Yeah. I’d hurry if I were you,” Jack says, checking his watch. “You have about…. Twenty minutes.”

“Why the hell did you let us sit here?!” Gavin squawks, lifting off his shirt, revealing his Vav costume. “Lads! Head out!”

“I suggest getting changed outside in the alley. You don’t want to get caught leaving my house, do you?” Jack suggests.

“Oh, right,” Gavin grins, sheepishly as he throws his shirt back over his head. “To the alley, Lads!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the time we arrive to the research facility, shit was already going down. “Vav, follow behind me close. I’ll scan the rooms for enemies before we bust in, you blast them with some slo mo, and Mogar can trail behind to cover us.” I instruct as we sneak into back entrance. 

As soon as the door opens, we’re greeted with a room full of henchmen, guns pointed directly at us.

“Ah, fuck… I should’ve scanned the first room.” I grumble.

We charge in. Vav provides us extra time to dodge bullets by slowing them down. We rush out of the room. I scan the hallways. “We need to get to the third floor!” I shout. I can see a huddle of people on the floor and two people standing, watching them. “I think they have some scientists held hostage. Let’s go!”

A door at the end of the hall flies open. Five henchmen file out, blocking the stairway. 

“I got this!” Mogar charges ahead. “Find another way upstairs! I’ll catch up!” He shouts as he punches fireballs towards the henchmen. Vav and I don’t hesitate. We turn around, heading for the elevator.

“A bloody elevator?!” Vav squeaks.

“You got a better idea?” I scold as the doors open. We hop in and press the button for the third floor. The elevator stops at the second floor.

“Huh?” Vav tilts his head as the doors open. More henchmen standing there, about to step in. They’re just as surprised to see us. “Ahhhhhhh!” Vav squawks as he tackles them, toppling over the crowd. “Gogogogogogo!!!” Vav waves me on.

I frantically push the button to close the door. The elevator doors close slowly and takes me up to the third floor. The doors open and I step out. I use my X-Ray vision to scan the area. I find the room. Instead of two people standing in the room, there’s only one. Great. A one on one battle. This should be easy.

I approach the room. I take a deep breath before opening the door. A group of scientists are sitting in the middle. They’re not tied up. They’re just sitting there. They have blank expressions on their faces.

“We meet again, X-Ray.” There’s that voice again, sending chills down my spine. 

I turn around to face her. “Songbird,” I nod. “Let these people go.”

“I will. After we get what we’re looking for.” Songbird crosses her arms.

“And what exactly are you looking for?”

“Nice try,” She smirks. “Now, did you come here to talk or fight?”

“I was waiting for you to make the first move, darling.” I get ready in a fighting stance.

“Man, chivalry is dead,” She starts walking closer, hands up, ready to fight. “Aren’t men supposed to make the first move?”

“It’s the 21st century. You should know better than that.” I return the smirk.

“Damn, you’re so fucking cute. I really hate to fight,” She pouts. She quickly loses the pout and replaces it with an evil grin. “But I’ll get over it!” She charges at me, fist drawn back and ready to punch.

I duck out of the way and stick my leg out to trip her. She hops over. 

“Ha! You’ll have to do better than that!” She shouts as she charges at me again.

I dodge and grab her arm as she lunges forward. I twist her arm behind her back. “Now,” I stand behind her, talking close to her ear. “Is this better?”

I hear a small gulp. Is she… nervous? I can’t even resist. Being so close to her… 

My lips inch closer to neck. 

A new presence enters the room. “Let my girlfriend go.” A voice growls as a fist smashes into my jaw, causing me to fall to the ground.

The impact catches me off guard. 

“Man, everyone is just after you, baby.” The man sounds annoyed.

“Hush, now.” Songbird hisses. “Let that go.”

I look up. The man is wearing black costume with a blood red mask. “I didn’t hear her complaining.” I spit back, holding onto my jaw.

“I’m going to fucking kill you.” The man narrows his eyes.

“X-Ray! We’re here!” Mogar stops short when he sees the man. “You!” He points.

“Ah, Mogar! You’re here.” The man chuckles.

Vav steps into the room. “Who is this guy?”

“Master Mind.” Mogar crosses his arms. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in jail back at Brighton City.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” The man, Master Mind, smirks. “You’re wasting your time here. Nothing can stop the Fulcrum.”

“Fulcrum? Who the fuck it that?” Mogar’s balls his fists.

“Only time will tell,” The man starts backing out of the room, throwing something over his shoulder. “But, it’s time to go.” The small object blows a hole into the side of the building.

“Stop!” Mogar charges towards him.

“Songbird! Time to go!” Master Mind jumps out, making his escape into a ladder being dangled from a helicopter.

Songbird starts running for the ladder. I grab her hand. “Wait!” I pull her back. 

She leans forward, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. The spark that I felt last night at the club dances on my lips. “I’ll see you again soon.” She promises.

I’m too stunned to move. She twists free from my grasp and hops onto the ladder, making her escape.

Mogar starts punching fire towards the copter, but they’re already out of his range. Mogar turns back to me and throws his hands in the air. “What the fucking hell was that?!” He rages.

I bring my fingers to my lips, tracing over the spot her delicate lips have touched. I’ve felt this spark before…

Vav is kneeling down to the scientists. They’re snapping out of their trances.

“Well?! I’m waiting!” Mogar shouts.

Fuck… I’m in more trouble than I thought…

_Just be careful, Ray. I think you may have found your weakness._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Riley's hero name doesn't make sense to some people, please be patient. It will be explained in later chapters.


	6. Differences

I walk out into the living room, where Gavin and Michael are sitting and laughing. They instantly get quiet when they notice my presence. “What are you guys doing?” I ignore the weird atmosphere and sit on the couch next to Michael.

“We were watching T.V.” Michael doesn’t look at me as he passes me the remote and gets off the couch.

“Um, okay?” I look at the other end of the couch, where Gavin is. “What do you want to watch, Gav?”

“Uh,” Gavin looks at the coffee table. “Micool and I are about to leave. We were going to go… shopping.”

“Shopping?” I raise an eyebrow. “The mall is still closed.”

“Uh, grocery shopping.” Gavin stutters.

“Alright,” I turn my head to Michael. “Why are you guys lying to me?”

“Ray, you let Songbird get away!” Michael growls. “How could you let that happen?”

“I already told you. It wasn’t my fault!” I defend myself. “The kiss caught my off guard. It’s not like I wanted her to get away.”

“Yeah? Well, she did. And it’s kinda your fault!” Michael retorts.

“Yeah!” Gavin agrees.

I look at Gavin. “What are you, a parrot?” I turn my attention back to Michael. “And you don’t see me blaming you for letting Master Mind get away.”

“Me?! At least I tried to stop him! I didn’t fucking make out with him and let him prance away!” Michael grits his teeth.

“I already told you! It wasn’t my fault! I was ambushed!” I shout.

“Yeah, whatever, man.” Michael grumbles. 

“Fine,” I huff. “If you guys want to act like assholes, I’m going out.” I start walking out the door. Neither Michael nor Gavin try to stop me.

What do people usually do when they storm out? The mall is closed, I don’t want to go to a bar, and I can’t rant to my best friends for obvious reasons. There’s only one place I can think about going… And, damn it, it will bite me in the ass later.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stand outside the ice cream shop. I don’t know what I’m thinking. Melody won’t be here. She quit. But I can still hope…

I reach out to open the door. “Ray,” A voice causes me to jump. I spin around and come face to face with Jack. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ice cream.” I shrug.

“Uh huh. Sure,” Jack shakes his head. “Forget ice cream. Let’s take a walk.”

I peek into the window of the ice cream shop. No sign of Melody. “Okay, you lead.” I sigh. I start following Jack.

“So, Gavin and Michael are still mad.” Jack comments. “I saw the whole thing with Songbird go down. Ouch.”

“Yeah. But it wasn’t my fault!” 

Jack’s glasses slide to the tip of his nose as he shoots me a disappointed look.

“Okay,” I grumble. “Perhaps I didn’t help the situation, but I didn’t know she was going to get away!” I argue.

“Why didn’t you stop her? It’s not like you to get tripped up so easily.” Jack asks.

“I know!” I throw my hands in the air. “This isn’t like me. I don’t understand what’s come over me.”

“Hmm. This is odd.” Jack strokes his beard. “So, all of this happened after you met Songbird.”

“That’s just a coincidence.” I lie. I know that this behavior has something to do with her. But what?

“Is it?” Jack insists. “Ray, remember what we talked about yesterday. You need to steer clear from her.”

“You don’t have to talk to me about this,” I say in an agitated tone. “I want nothing to do with her.”

“You may have some sort of feelings for her. Maybe they’re innocent feelings, but you don’t know what she’s capable of. She could be trying to trap you.”

“I think you’re overreacting,” I shake my head. “I won’t let her get to me. She means nothing to me. She’s just the enemy.”

“Ray, lying to me won’t make it true.” Jack states. “I can see everything that has happened, everything that can happen, and everything that is inevitable.” 

I stop walking. “Wait, that’s right. You only show up when you saw something important,” I think aloud. “Jack, what did you see?”

Jack keeps a straight face. “I was just in the neighborhood.”

“Bullshit. What did you see?” I ask again.

“Ray,” Jack says in a warning tone. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Melody… “I was close, wasn’t I?” I start backing up. “Songbird was in the area, wasn’t she?”

“Don’t be silly. Let’s keep walking.” Jack insists as he grabs my wrist.

I tear my arm away from him. “I’m sorry, Jack. But if she’s nearby, then I need to see her. I have to get some kind of information out of her.” 

“Ray, stop!” Jack shouts as I run back in the direction of the ice cream shop. Once I cross the street, cars separate Jack from me. Now I have a little bit of time to lose him. So Melody must be around here. But where? She’s not at the ice cream parlor….

I pass shops and glance in the windows. Still no sign of her. I should just give up…

I pass by a restaurant. In the booth next to the window is a familiar dark haired beauty. She’s sitting alone. Allow me to go ahead and change that…

I walk into the restaurant and approach Melody’s table. I slam my hands on the table, causing her to jump. “Hello!” I laugh at her reaction.

“You scared me,” She sighs, placing a hand on her chest. “Jeez. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Hehehe,” I can’t help but smile. I can’t explain it, but I feel happy around Melody. She makes me feel… safe. “What are you doing here all alone?”

Her eyes widen. “Oh, shit! We need to leave.” Melody jumps up and takes my hand. “Hurry! Before he comes back!” she giggles as she pulls me out of the restaurant. “Come on!”

“Hold on. Man, everyone is dragging me around today.” I grumble as I follow behind. 

She continues to pull me, her hand clasped in mine. It just feels right. Once we’re a good distance away from the restaurant, she stops tugging me around. “Whew… That was close,” She pants. “Hi, Ray.” She smiles.

I don’t dare take my hand away. “Care to tell me why we ran away?” I chuckle. 

“I didn’t want my friend to see you.” Melody shrugs.

“Ah, you’re “friend”,” I roll my eyes. “I assume you’re talking about your boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend is a pretty big title. I’d like to think of him as just a friend,” Melody hums. “Well, at least that’s what I think ever since I met you.”

“Wow, that line. You use that on all the pretty boys?” I tease, batting my eyelashes.

“Nah, just you,” She smirks. “So why did you decide to come scare me?”

“I just saw you and thought we could pick up where we left off?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Nice try,” Melody giggles. “You think just because I kissed you at a club, that it’s going to happen again? Besides, I barely know you.”

“Yet you ran away with me to get away from your boyfriend. You are not making a good case for yourself right now.” I point out.

“Shush,” She nudges me with her elbow. “Where are we going?”

“I thought you knew. You were the one who dragged me along.”

“Hmm,” She thinks for a moment. “I don’t really care where we go. Do you?”

“Nope,” I shake my head. “I just wanted to see you.”

Melody hides her face, attempting to hide the blush spreading across her face. “Why?”

“Because I think you’re cute,” I answer bluntly. “And if I can be completely honest, I’ve been feeling like a dork because I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” I don’t know why, but my cheeks begin to feel warm. “Ever since I met you, the only thing I could think about is your voice,” I stop walking and tilt her head up to face me. I drag my thumb across her mouth. “These cute little lips,” I lean in. “And all the things those lips could possibly do,” I whisper. “I’m convinced, that you’re some kind of witch that put a freaking spell on me and I’d like you to remove it.” I smirk.

Melody rolls her eyes. “Gee, I really thought you were going somewhere sexy with that rant.”

“Me? Sexy? Nah.” I grin. I shouldn’t be this comfortable with the enemy. It’s not good. My hero training is telling me that this has to be a trap. She’s not hurting me because she’s waiting for me to let my guard down. But my stupid, big, dumb heart is telling me to just let her in. She could be harmless.

I really wish my heart would stop giving me false hope.

“You’re such a big dope,” She giggles. “I think… I think that’s why I’m attracted to you. I really wish we could get to know each other better.”

“Why don’t we?” I blurt out. Melody looks up at me in surprise. “Let’s go on a date. We can go to an overpriced Italian restaurant and eat stale bread sticks and then we can bitch about it later. Or we can go to a stupid movie and not watch the dumb thing. Like we can make out, or eat popcorn… but mostly make out.” 

Melody lets out a laugh. “Ray…” She smiles.

“Or, how about this,” I cup the sides of her face. “I’ll kick my roommates out for the night, and we can try to make dinner. We’ll make a mess out of the kitchen, throw food at each other like we’re in a silly romance novel or something. I don’t care what we do. All I know is that I’d really like to do something with you and I have no intention of giving up so easily.

Melody bites her lip, trying to contain her smile. “That sounds really fun,” She admits. Her smile begins to fade and she removes my hands from her face. “We really are torturing ourselves, you know that, right?”

“What do you mean?” I ask. I’m pretty sure I know what she’s talking about.

“We both are… different… Our circumstances, I mean. We’re both dating completely different people. I can’t see how this can work. This strange attraction we have towards each other needs to stop.”

“I can stop seeing Sadie. I can call her right now.” I start fishing out my phone.

Melody places her hand on my arm. “We are with… _different_ people, Ray.” She repeats. 

“Then just stop,” I answer. “Let’s stop seeing those different people.” 

“It’s not that simple…” She pauses. “We’re in completely _different_ … lives. We have nothing in common.”

“We both happen to like each other. I think that counts.” I counter. I’m starting to understand that she’s not talking about dating other people.

“You understand what I’m trying to say, right, Ray? We’re _different_.” She keeps saying that word. I don’t care.

“I used to know a woman,” I interrupt. “She fell in love with a man. And overtime, he fell in love with her. They were like you and me. _Different_ ,” I continue. “They were in different friend groups. The man’s group wasn’t so nice. The man used to cause a lot of trouble. One day, after realizing he couldn’t live without her, he turned his life around. He made it so he wasn’t so _different_.”

“That’s nice for them, but I don’t think that applies to us.” Melody crosses her arms.

“Trust me,” I nod. “It applies to us, perfectly.”

Melody sighs and reaches into her pocket. “I’m sorry. Give me a moment,” She apologizes as she pulls out her cell phone. “Yeah?” She answers. “Where am I? Oh, I ran into a nearby store… Sorry, I wasn’t thinking… Okay, I said sorry. Don’t yell at me…” she pouts. “I’ll meet you back at the restaurant. Bye.” She hangs up her cell phone. “That was my boyfriend,” She admits. “I should get back to him.”

“Yeah…” I answer flatly. “I guess… I’ll see you around…”

Melody turns around to start heading back. “Wait,” She turns to face me. “What happened to them? The man and woman?”

“They got married. They had a daughter,” I admit. “The woman… she died protecting her family…But the time she had with her husband was the happiest time of her life.” Riley and Ryan’s story can be a true inspiration. I can only hope Melody and I can reach a similar happiness. 

“That’s very… bitter sweet…” Melody starts to walk away. “Oh, Ray?” She pauses. “On Sunday, I would stay away from the National Art Museum downtown. Just saying…” Melody runs off before I could get anything else out of her.

A smirk grows on my face. I guess I’ll see you on Sunday, Melody.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I walk back into the apartment. Michael is sitting on the couch. “Hey.” He turns around and greets me. He sounds calm.

“Do you ever move from that spot?” I tease. I think it’s safe to joke around.

“Shut up,” Michael chuckles. “Hey, man. I’m sorry about this morning. I mean, I am still a little pissed off that they got away, but it’s not really your fault. It just kinda happened. I just lost my cool.”

“Really?” I say in a sarcastic tone. “The man with fire powers lost his cool?”

“Shut your mouth before I burn you to a crisp,” Michael holds in a laugh. “But, seriously, are we okay?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t a big deal. I don’t blame you for being angry,” I dismiss the subject. “Besides, me storming out of the house must have given you and Gavin some time to bound.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

Michael’s face reddens. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Dude, you keep denying it. You two should just bang already.” I tease.

“I’m going to kill you,” Michael frowns. “There is nothing going on between me and Gavin.”

“If you say so.” I chuckle. 

Gavin walks out of his room. “Micool.” He hops on the couch and places his head on his lap. 

“Wha-what, Gavin?”

“I just wanted to say hi.” Gavin grins.

“Off.” Michael pushes Gavin off as he giggles. Michael cranes his head to see my reaction. I raise an eyebrow at them. “Don’t say a word.” Michael warns, blushing.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After informing Michael and Gavin about the art museum (leaving out the part of meeting Melody), I lay in bed. It’s been a long day. I try to relax, but sleep is not coming easy. All I can think about is Melody. So she’s very much aware of the situation we’re in. Now that I look back on it all, I have no idea how we ended up like this.

_Ah, so you're the famous X-Ray._

_You look lost._

_Good thing I’m here. Dance with me._

Just like every night, I think about her voice. Everything she’s ever said to me.

_We meet again, X-Ray._

_Damn, you’re so fucking cute. I really hate to fight._

_I’ll see you again soon._

_You’re such a big dope. I think… I think that’s why I’m attracted to you. I really wish we could get to know each other better._

_We really are torturing ourselves, you know that, right? We both are… different…_

I just can’t forget her.

_I really wish things were different…_

I sit up. That’s strange. That’s Melody’s voice, but I don’t recall her saying that.

_I wish I could just run away. How about it, Ray? Want to just run away? We can go somewhere far. We can do whatever we want. We can just be together._

I know for a fact that she’s never said that to me. What’s going on? Am I imaging this?

_I’m sorry… Ray… I’m so so sorry!_

That’s Melody, again. She’s sounds like she’s crying. Just like that, the voices stop. My mind is now clear. Can I control my thinking? Hmm… Monkeys. Okay, now that I know I’m in control of my thoughts, what just happened?


	7. The Fulcrum

 

“Of course I’m sure,” I peek out, using my X-Ray vision to check the art museum. “They will be here soon.”

“I don’t get it,” Vav tilts his head. “What would they want with art?”

“I’m guessing they want more gems in the mineral department,” Mogar responds. “At the museum, they stole a bunch of precious gems at the museum, right?”

“That’s what the news said. But what do they want with all these gems?” Vav continues. “Are they going to sell them?”

“I guess so. What else would they do with everything?” I shrug. I notice a commotion going on inside the art museum. People start pouring out of the building. “I think something is happening! Let’s go!”

I rush out of the bushes and sprint towards the museum. We dodge out of the way of citizens that are fleeing the scene. I scan the museum as we run in. 

“They’re heading for the roof!” I warn Mogar and Vav. “We need to get to the stairs, quick.”

Once we locate the stairs, we rush to the roof. They managed to lock the door behind them. Mogar uses his fire to break the door off its hinges. “Alright,” Mogar gets into his fighting stance. Songbird and Master Mind turn to face us. “Here’s how this is going to work, you’re going to hand over whatever you stole, and then, you’re going to jail. I won’t let you get away this time!”

“That’s funny, Mogar. I’m getting a vision of how this is really going to work,” Songbird smirks. “We’re going to kick your asses, and then we’re going to walk away.”

“Yeah, good luck with that!” Mogar shouts as he punches fire balls in their direction.

Songbird dodges out of the way and Master Mind pulls out a shield. “Nice try,” Master Mind puts the shield away and pulls out a gun. “X-Ray, remember this? It’s a stun gun.”

“You’re the asshole we faced before Mogar came here?!” I shout.

“And it won’t be the last time you see me. The Fulcrum’s plans are coming together nicely. You’ll see,” Master Mind places his finger on the trigger. “You avoided the stun gun last time,” He points the gun at Vav and shoots. Vav screams and then falls to the ground. “Now,” Master Mind turns the gun on me. “You’re next.”

Mogar pushes me out of the way and we take cover behind a vent. “So, he’s a super villain, right? What’s his power?” I ask.

“He’s a super genius,” Mogar responds. “That’s not really a power, though. Master Mind can create almost anything. It’s really a shame that he’s using his power for evil. We could’ve used someone like him. Now, I’ll take Master Mind and you deal with Songbird.” Mogar says before coming out of hiding and punching his fire towards Master Mind.

Great. Me versus Songbird again.

I peek around the vent. There’s a leg in my view. I look up to find Songbird staring down at me. “Hello, X-Ray.”

“Hey,” I nod. “So, uh, how are you?” She kicks me over, making me roll over on my back. “Oh, bad day?”

“Get up.” Songbird balls her hands into fists. “I’m ready to fight!”

“Can’t we just skip the fight and kiss?” I chuckle as I flip myself back onto my feet.

“Heh, is that all you ever think about? God, stop flirting with me.” She smirks as she throws a punch.

I block it and I grab her wrist. “Didn’t learn your lesson from last time?” I yank her towards me, spin her and slam her back against the brick wall. I keep her pinned. “You know, mind powers are great, but you really need to learn to fight.”

“I can fight.” She pouts.

“Doubt it,” I roll my eyes. I’m acting so calm, but my heart hasn’t stopped pounding. Every time we get this close, I just want to hold her. “For a person who just got captured, you don’t seem to be fighting me.” 

“I’m… thinking of my next move.” She sticks her tongue out at me.

“Yeah. Keep lying to yourself,” I laugh. “Why are you on their side? What are you getting out of this? You know, you can easily turn this around.”

“I can’t…” Songbird darts her eyes away from mine.

“You can,” I assure her. “Don’t leave with them. Come back with me. It will take some convincing, but Mogar and Vav will warm up to you. We can train you, and you can fight alongside with us.”

“That can’t happen, X-Ray. You know that,” She whispers. “I really wish things were different…”

There it is. That’s what I heard a few nights ago. Word for word. “Let’s make it different, Songbird. Please, we can help you.” I beg.

“You know,” A voice causes me to jump. Master Mind is standing right behind me. “I’m getting sick of you being around my girlfriend.”

I scan the roof for Mogar. He’s passed out right beside Vav. He must have lost. Before I can do anything, Master Mind punches me in the jaw, causing me to drop to the ground.

“Ow… Listen, dude-” I start to argue.

“No, you listen,” Master Mind hisses. “I’ve had it with you. I was going to be nice and let you and your friends live, but when the Fulcrum gets here, he’s going to get rid of you once and for all. Starting with you.”

“Master mind, stop it,” Songbird warns. “They’re not worth the fight. They haven’t been able to stop us yet, have they?”

“And, they’ll never make it to that point. I’ll make sure of that.” Master Mind dismisses her. He grabs me by my collar and forces me to stand.

Footsteps can be heard coming up the steps. A man wearing a black hooded cape appears. His uniform is black with red lining. “Looks like we have some new friends.” He says.

“These are the troublemakers I told you about.” Master Mind shoves me in the man’s direction. I fall to the ground in front of him.

“You must be X-Ray,” The man peers down at me.

“Who the hell are you?” I cough. I’m tired of being tossed around.

“I am the Fulcrum,” He gives me an evil smile. “I am the missing piece of the world!”

“What the fuck does that mean?!” I narrow my eyes. 

“I think we should get rid of these fools.” Master Mind crosses his arms. “I’m really getting sick of them.”

“Well, let’s not waste any weapons on them. Let’s just drop them from the roof. Let the citizens below watch their heroes fall helplessly to the ground,” Fulcrum responds. “Let’s start with this one.” He points to me.

“Hey, man, I should let you know. I can actually fly. It’s my secret power.” I lie.

“Okay, then,” Master Mind pushes me off the building. I grab the edge. “Let’s see you fly.”

“Master Mind!” Songbird shouts. “Stop!”

“Uh, wait,” I nervously chuckle. “Let’s talk this out. You don’t have to kill anyone.”

“Yeah, I do.” Master Mind stomps on one of my hands, causing me to dangle with one hand. Well, this isn’t how I pictured how I would die, but this is it.

“Songbird? What are you doing?!” I hear Master Mind shout. Songbird shoves Master Mind out of the way. 

“Here,” She holds out her hand. “Grab my hand!”

“Uh… what?” I shake my head. She’s helping me in front of Master Mind?

“Well, don’t just stare at my hand! Take it!” She growls.

“Master Mind, they’re waking up.” I hear the Fulcrum warn him. “Get rid of him and then help me with them!”

Vav? Mogar?

“Ray, please.” She begs. She called me Ray.

I reach up to grab her hand. Songbird gets tossed aside by Master Mind and he pushes me off the edge.

“No!” I hear her protest.

“Oh shit!” I flail my arms around. “Shitshitshitshitshitshit!” My heart is beating fast as I plummet towards the ground. Yup. This is the end.

I feel a hand grab my arm. I’m still falling, but at a slower velocity. I look up. A small girl in a red costume and a white mask is struggling to pull me up. Hmm, a little girl who can fly? “Ashlynn?” I ask.

“Hi, Mr. X-Ray!” She whines. “You’re heavy! I’m going to slowly get you to the ground.”

“Looks like you have some of your father’s strength,” I chuckle. “What are you doing here?”

Ashlynn sets me on the ground. “Daddy and the Gentz are on their way up to the roof now. We came to help!” She smiles proudly.

“Good girl,” I ruffle her hair. “I guess I’m not supposed to call you by your name. Have you picked a hero name yet?”

“The Red Herring! Just like Mommy! Well… it’s just until I find my own name. I just want to make Mommy proud.”

“She would be. You saved my life. And for that, I’m grateful,” I smile and crouch down. “Now, let’s go help your dad.”

Ashlynn- I mean, the Red Herring, hops on my back and I rush back to the roof. Once we reach the top, The Red Herring runs to her father’s side.

Jack, A.K.A Mind Jacked, is in his old black and yellow costume. Geoff, or Lazer, is in his signature black and green costume. Ryan, A.K.A The Mad King is in his black costume with red boots and gloves.  I take my place, standing in between Vav and Mogar. We all stand side by side, ready to fight.

“It would seem that you are… outnumbered.” Lazer smirks. 

“Yeah!” The Red Herring chimes in.

“It seems so,” The Fulcrum nods as a helicopter swoops down. “So we’ll just continue this another time.” He hops on the ladder.

Master Mind is dragging Songbird behind him.

“Songbird!” I shout so she can hear me. She looks in my direction. “Remember what I told you! It’s not too late!” I promise her.

Songbird starts twisting her arm to get away from Master Mind. Is she going to listen? Is she really coming to me?

Master Mind pulls her back. “What is wrong with you? We have to go!” He grabs onto the ladder and the helicopter starts flying away.

“Oh no, not this time!” Mogar growls.

“Don’t waste your energy,” Lazer puts a hand on Mogar’s shoulder. “This isn’t the last we’ll see of them.”

“You three could have died today.” The Mad King reminds us.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for us, you wouldn’t be alive right now,” Mind Jacked scolds. “Let’s get to the hero base.”

“Yay! I’ve always wanted to see it!” The Red Herring cheers.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the base, we all changed back into regular clothes. Ashlyn looks around in awe. “Daddy, can you show me around now?”

“Yeah,” Ryan nods. “But the place is a little different now. Ray, why don’t you help me give the tour.”

“Sure.” I get out off the couch and follow behind Ryan. Ashlynn holds Ryan’s hand as he leads her through the base.

“There’s not much to see,” Ryan explains. “This main area is where we get calls to help the city. Over here,” Ryan leads her to a hallway, “is where all the spare rooms used to be. If we were too tired to go home, we would stay here. Ray, what do you guys use these rooms for now?”

“Nothing. Gavin and I left them alone. They’re exactly the same.” I shrug.

“Exactly the same?” Ryan repeats. He walks to the end of the hallway, opens the last door on the right and walks in. I’ve never been in this room. Out of curiosity, I follow him in. It’s a regular old room. What’s so special about this room? 

Ryan releases Ashlynn’s hand and walks to a bookcase.

“Daddy,” Ashlynn speaks up. “Whose room is this?”

“This was your mother’s room.” Ryan responds quietly. He takes a deep breath. “If I remember correctly, it should be right here…” Ryan takes a book off the shelf. It looks like some kind of an album. “This was the taken the night I become good.” Ryan turns to Ashlynn and hands her the book. I peek over her shoulder. 

It’s a picture with a younger Riley and Ryan. Ryan’s smile looks awkward, yet genuine. He wasn’t sure how to show how happy he was. Riley’s smile is so bright. We all miss this beautiful woman.

“Mommy is so pretty.” Ashlynn giggles.

“Yeah, she is.” Ryan forces a smile. Man, I don’t know how he does this.

“Daddy? What’s a red herring? And why was that Mommy’s hero name?”

“A red herring is a fish. But in the figurative sense, a red herring is a distraction. So, Mommy thought she was so clever, she would call herself the Red Herring. Because she had red hair, and she thought she would trick the villains into thinking she was a good swimmer, when in reality, her power is flying.”

“That doesn’t make any sense...” Ashlynn frowns.

“That’s what I told her the first time she explained it to me.” Ryan chuckles.

“Oh! Juice break!” Ashlynn squeaks and hands the album back to Ryan. “Don’t go anywhere! I’ll be back to continue the tour!” She says as she jogs out of the room.

“Riley forced me to take a picture with her,” Ryan says, looking at the photo. “I was so out of it that night. I wasn’t sure what I was doing at the hero base. Everything felt so new and confusing, yet being by her side made everything feel so right. Riley was such a sweet, and caring woman,” Ryan’s eyes begin to water. “Some days it’s hard,” His voice wavers. “She shouldn’t have died. She should be here, with me.” Ryan squeezes his eyes shut. It amazes me how much pain he hides. All for his daughter’s sake.

I place a hand on his shoulder. There’s nothing I can say to him that will make this okay. Saying that I’m sorry won’t do anything. 

“I really miss her…” Ryan sighs.

“I know, man.”

“Hey,” Ryan pauses. “Jack told me about the situation with Songbird.”

“Yeah? You’re going to tell me to leave her alone, too, right?”

Ryan shakes his head. “No. I think you should keep trying. Ray, she might be like me. She’s probably just misguided and lost. She needs you to bring her to the hero side.”

“Misguided? Lost? How do you know that?” I ask.

“No one starts off a villain. Every person starts off as an innocent being. As they grow older, something makes them cruel. However,” Ryan traces his fingers over the picture. “Sometimes, a miracle can happen and you can be saved when you didn’t even realize you needed saving.”

“You really think I can save Songbird?” I tilt my head.

Ryan smiles down at the picture. “I know you can. Just think about where I would be if Riley hadn’t helped me. I would still be evil. Or dead.”

Ashlynn returns with a juice box. “Ready to go check out the other rooms?”

“Yep!” Ryan closes the album and puts it back on the shelf.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael, Gavin, and I shuffle back to our apartment. “I’m going to bed and I’m never waking up!” Gavin groans.

“I’m with you,” Michael mumbles. “Do we really have to go back to work tomorrow?”

“The mall is back open and we need to make money.” I sigh.

“We should just live at the hero base.” Gavin whines.

“We went over this. That’s for emergencies only. Don’t you realize how many people would notice that we were around there too much? It’s too risky.” I reason.

“He’s right,” Michael sighs. “Let’s get some sleep.”

Gavin and Michael separate to their rooms. I plop down on the couch. Why bother? I’m not tired yet.

I feel like I’m getting somewhere with Melody. I know she needs my help. Ryan said no one starts off as a villain. It makes me wonder what lead her to the villain side in the first place. 

My cell phone begins to vibrate. I look at my messages. It’s from a number I don’t recognize. 

_Unknown number: Come to the park._

I stare at my phone. Who is this? How am I supposed to respond to this?

_Ray: Stranger danger?_

_Unknown number: It’s Melody, stupid! Get your butt over here!_

_Ray: I don’t know. You could be someone trying to kidnap me._

Melody responds with a picture of her frowning angrily. In the background, I can see the park.

_Melody: It’s me._

I smirk and get off the couch. The park is a quick five minute walk from the apartment, so it shouldn’t take my long to get there. I don’t know how she got my number, but I guess I’ll find out when I see her. I should really stay away. But Jack was right. Melody is my weakness.

 


	8. Alone Together

I arrive at the park and I spot Melody sitting on a bench near a park lamp. “Ray,” She smiles. “I have to be quick. I don’t have much time before they realize I’m gone.”

I walk up to her. “How did you get my number?” I ask as I approach her.

“Hello to you, too.” She stands and crosses her arms.

I roll my eyes. “Sorry. Let me try that again,” I cup my hands around her face and gently bring her lips to mine. Her body relaxes. Instead of pulling away or fighting, she rests her hands on my chest. “Hi.” I say once I pull away.

“Hi…” She says in a soft voice. “Songbird got your number. She can look into memories, too.”

“I see,” I rub my nose against hers. “And how do you know Songbird?”

“You can say she’s a good friend of mine.” 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I pull her close and she rests her head on my chest. Just holding her right now is nice.

“I just wanted to tell you that this has to be the last time we see each other outside of our “jobs”,” She pauses. “It’s too dangerous for you. If I get too close to you, my boyfriend will find out.”

“Let him. X-Ray can take him.” I scoff.

“Can he?” Melody asks in a flat tone. “Looked like he had X-Ray on the ground with a single punch. Just listen to me,” Melody lifts her head to look at me. “Don’t try to find me after today. Don’t try to convince me to leave. Just… leave things the way they are.”

“I can’t do that,” I answer immediately. “Melody, all you have to do is just come home with me. You don’t have to go back. You can be safe with me.”

“You don’t understand…” Melody untangles herself from my arms and turns away from me.

“What? What don’t I understand?!” I shout. “What’s keeping you there?”

Melody doesn’t answer right away. “I wish I could just run away,” She mumbles. I freeze. I remember this. “How about it, Ray?” She turns back to me and grabs my hand. “Want to just run away? We can go somewhere far. We can do whatever we want. We can just be together.”

I bite my lip. No more fighting, no more danger, and no more stress. It can just be me and her. “I can’t…” I sigh. “It’s my duty to protect Aeravale. I can’t just run away.”

“Then, this is it…” Melody frowns.

“No,” I shake my head. My fingers intertwine with hers. “It’s not it. Come home with me,” I insist. “Please, you don’t have to go back to Master Mind.”

“He’s all I have, Ray… Maybe I did fall out of love with him, but he’s all I have left of home.”

I wonder what she means by that. “Let me be your home.” I beg. “I’m not as smart or strong as him, but I have a lot of love to give, Melody. And all I want to do is give that to you.”

Melody ducks her head down. I try to tilt her head back up, but she pulls away. “That’s sweet,” Her voice wavers. “But it shouldn’t be for me. You should focus all that love on your girlfriend.” She sniffles.

“I want that to be you,” I continue. “You can fight me all you want, but I’m not giving up. I can tell you want this as much as I do. Tell me that you don’t, and I’ll leave you alone.” I mean that. If she wants me to leave her alone, I’ll do it. I’ll still want her, but I won’t push her and make her uncomfortable. 

“… I should go…” Melody slips her hand away. She refuses to look me in the eye. Is she crying? She starts walking away. 

“Wait,” I put my hand on her shoulder. “What will happen to you if they notice you’re gone?”

“They won’t hurt me, if that’s what you’re thinking,” She answers. “But Master Mind will be upset.”

“If this has to be the last night, can we do something?”

“Do what?” She asks.

“Let’s go on a late night date.” I nod.

“What?” Melody giggles and checks the time. “It’s like one in the morning!”

“Yeah,” I shrug as I pull her along. “Come on, now. We have to go before all the good spots are taken.” I tease.

“Where are we going?” She asks. I notice a tear slide down her cheek. So, she was crying.

“Hey,” I stop and use my sleeve to wipe her cheeks. “None of that. We’re going to get some food and we can talk. It’s going to be fun, so get hyped!”

“Food? What’s open this late?” She sniffles.

“God, you ask so many questions,” I smirk. “Do you trust me?” 

Melody nods. “I do.”

“I just asked you to trust me. I didn’t ask you to marry me.” I snicker.

Melody frowns. “I hate you! I don’t wanna go on a date with you now!” She pouts.

I laugh. “Yes, you do.” I gently tug her along. 

Melody grumbles to herself, but continues to hold my hand. She’s so stubborn.  I lead her to a nearby 24- hour diner. 

“I didn’t know this place was here,” Melody comments as we walk in. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot of people here.”

“Well, no. Of course not. It is late,” I tease. The host leads us to our booth. We sit across from each other and we wait for a server. “Order whatever you want.”

“I want waffles…” Melody mumbles. “I haven’t had them in forever.”

“Don’t tell me,” I chuckle. “Tell the server.”

“Asshole. I was just trying to make conversation.” Melody puffs out a cheek.

“That was terrible. Try something else.” I continue to tease her. 

“I can leave, you know!” She frowns.

“No, don’t do that,” I laugh. “I just like getting you worked up. It’s cute.” Just making her annoyed is fun. I wish I could always annoy her. I want to be in her life to bother her again.

It’s almost heartbreaking to think that this is the last night we can be like this.

“Fine, I won’t leave. But it’s only because you asked me not to,” Melody hides her face with her menu. “It’s not like I WANT to be here or anything…”

“God, you are such an anime character. Can’t you be normal for once?” I continue to laugh. She’s making this too easy.

“Normal?!” She slams down her menu. “You’re one to talk! There’s nothing about us that’s normal!”

“I’d like to think I’m normal,” I smirk. “You, however, are very much not normal.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Doesn’t sound like it.” Melody pouts.

“It is,” I promise her. “You stand out in a crowd. You’re too beautiful to be average.” Melody picks up her menu once again, hiding her face. “What are you doing?” I ask, pulling down the menu. Her cheeks have a hint of red. 

“Stop doing that!” She shouts.

“What? Complimenting my date?” I shrug. I notice the frown on Melody’s face. She keeps her head down, her gaze fixed on the table. “Hey, what’s wrong?” I furrow my eyebrows.

“I’ve never been complimented this much before,” She answers in a soft voice. “It’s just… so hard to get used to…” She takes a deep breath. “And now… I’ll never hear it again…”

“You know, Melody-”

“Hi, guys! Sorry about the wait! What would you like to drink?” The server interrupts.

Jeez, we’re the only two here and it took them that long to greet us? “I’ll have a water.” I respond in an annoyed tone.

“Orange juice!” Melody hums.

“Orange juice?” I giggle once the server walks away. “Really?”

“Hey, we’re ordering breakfast, so why the hell not!” Melody shrugs.

“Yeah, but aren’t you getting waffles? Syrup and orange juice are kinda weird together.” I point out.

“Shut up! I’ve made my decision!” Melody pouts. 

I slide out of my side of the booth. “Scoot over.” 

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I want to sit next to you, stupid. Why else would I tell you to scoot?” I pretend to scold her.

“So mean.” She shoots me a playful glare.

I slide in next to her and rest my arm around her shoulder. “But you like me.”

“Yeah,” She rests her head on me. “I really do.”

The server comes back with our drinks. We place our orders. Melody orders her waffles and I order my usual pancake combo with bacon, eggs, and toast. The server walks away to put in our order. 

“What’s your story, Ray?” Melody asks.

“My story?”

“Yeah, you could be like a killer or something.” 

“Except you know I’m a hero,” I whisper. “So, I’m not exactly a murderer.”

“True,” She nods. “But I still want to know more about you.”

“I discovered my powers when I was in high school. I don’t know how I got them, or why, but all I know is I got really mad in chemistry class and… well, I’m sure you can guess what happened.”

“You used your powers in class?!” She exclaims in a hushed tone. 

“Uh, yeah,” I shrug. “I don’t know what triggered it. I just got really annoyed with my project and melting rays shot out of my eyes. The whole room caught fire. Luckily, no one was hurt and no one saw what really happened. The school just dismissed the incident as a chemical mishap.” 

“That’s crazy,” Melody says in awe. “I wish my story was more exciting than that. I just figured out that I can easily manipulate people. It’s much easier to do when I sing. I haven’t learned everything about my power yet.”

“You know who else has mind powers? Mind Jacked. You can ask him for help.” I offer.

Melody frowns. “You know I can’t do that.”

“You keep saying that. You can come to our side. I can keep you safe. What are you afraid of?” I insist. “If you come with me, things will be better.”

I cease the conversation as the server returns with our food, which didn’t take long at all. Once he leaves, we starts eating. 

“I just don’t understand, Melody,” I continue. “What’s keeping you on the wrong side?”

“There’s no such thing as the wrong side. There’s your side and the side that’s against you. It’s not necessarily bad.” She responds.

“Fine, then what’s keeping you with Master Mind?” 

Melody takes a sip of her orange juice before responding. “My mom was killed by a super hero four years ago.”

I feel my body tense up. “What? You mean a villain, right?”

“No,” Melody shakes her head. “A hero. And she didn’t do anything to deserve it. Master Mind and I used to live in the same apartment complex. After my Mom died… I didn’t have anywhere to go. I was too old to be put into an orphanage. I was on my own. Master Mind’s family took me in. He’s been there for me when I had nowhere else to go. When he found out about my powers, he helped me control them. He helped me learn my strengths and weaknesses. I wouldn’t be anywhere without Master Mind. With his help, we’re going to find that hero.”

“But just because a hero-”

She interrupts. “I have to find that hero. I have to find them and ask them why they took my mother from me. It wasn’t fair… She was my world. Maybe you don’t understand my reasons for doing what I do. But this is something I have to do.”

“What will you do when you find them?”

Melody stares out the window. “I don’t know,” She answers. “I just want answers.”

I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I find it hard to believe that a hero murdered a civilian. There has to be some kind of explanation. “Hey, I got an idea,” I say as I fish out my phone. I pull up YouTube and go to a certain song that I’m sure she’s going to like. I turn up the volume and I climb out of the booth and hold out my hand to her as the song starts to play. “Want to dance?”

“What?” She looks at my phone. “Thunder by Boys Like Girls? Why are you playing this song?”

“I just thought you would like it,” I shrug. “Are you going to leave me hanging?”

Melody smiles as she takes my hand. She slides out of the booth. There’s not a large amount of space, but it’s not like we need it. We stand close, holding each other, rocking back and forth. I don’t dance very often, but I can make an exception for her.

“Is this okay?” She whispers.

“There’s no one else here. I’m sure the staff won’t mind.” I assure her. Speaking of the staff, two employees come over and move the tables and chairs out of our way. Looks like they are perfectly fine with us dancing.

“ _Your voice was the soundtrack of my summer,_ ” I sing softly in her ear. “ _Do you know you’re unlike any other? You’ll always be my thunder. And I said, your eyes are the brightest of all the colors. I don’t wanna ever love another. You’ll always be my thunder._ ”

“You know the words?” She smiles. 

“I always used to hear this song and I absolutely hated it. But, you know, now it’s growing on me.” I admit. I continue to sing. “ _Today is a winding road. Tell me where to start and tell me something I don’t know._ ”

 Melody jumps in, singing the part I don’t know. “ _Today, I’m on my own. I can’t move a muscle and I can’t pick up the phone. I don’t know. And now I’m itching for the tall grass, and longing for the breeze. I need to step outside just to see if I can breathe. I gotta find a way out. Maybe there’s a way out._ ”

“It seems you know this song, too.” I comment.

“I used to listen to this song all the time. I always dreamed that the love of my life would sing this song to me as I danced.” She admits as a blush sweeps across her face. “Thinking my boyfriend was the love of my life, I would drop hints to him, but he never did this for me. Singing and dancing isn’t his thing.”

My heart thumps in my chest. “Maybe it was me you’ve been waiting for this whole time.”

Melody’s eyes sparkle. “Maybe you’re right.” her eyes begin to water. I run my thumb across my cheek before leaning in. I feel her soft lips against mine. Her hands grip my shirt while my hands rest on her lower back, pulling her closer to me. My muscles relax and I feel the tension leaving my body. All I want is her.

I really don’t want this night to end.

I pull away. “Let’s go somewhere for tonight.” I whisper.

Melody studies me for a moment, locking her eyes on mine. She bites her lip and nods.

I leave enough money on the table to cover the check plus the tip and Melody and I, hand in hand, rush out of the diner.

\--------------------------------------------------------

We found a small motel located on the edge of town. It’s not perfect, but I’m with her and that’s all that matters.

I sit on the edge of the bed, patiently waiting as Melody takes her shower. My knee bounces up and down. My heart is racing and I can feel the sweat sticking to my palms. This feels like we’re living together. This is like our first little apartment and we’re struggling to make things work, but at the end of the day, all we need is each other. Of course, I’m a bit too old to play house, right? But it’s still nice to pretend.

I don’t know what I’m doing here. I’ve never felt so self-conscious. I know that I want her, but watch me fuck this up somehow. This is supposed to be our only night. I have to make this special. 

All the negative thoughts hush when she steps out of the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe, her hair slightly wild and damp after being dried with a towel. “Don’t worry,” She says. “It’s a clean bathrobe. I checked. It was in an unopened package.” She walks over and stands in front of me.

“Well, that’s actually kinda classy for a shitty motel.” I take her hands into mine, planting a small kiss on each one. My eyes rake up and down her body, taking in all her curves and leaves me wondering what’s underneath the robe. “So…” I wonder how I’m going to ease into this. “What now?” 

Melody blushes. “What do you mean, “What now?”? You brought me here.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable,” I say in a soft voice. I move back on the bed, guiding her to me. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“Well, who the hell said I didn’t want this?” She responds stubbornly. 

“Fair enough.” I chuckle.

Melody lays close to me. We lay there, studying each other. I mind races as my hand slowly moves towards the belt of the robe. I tug at the belt and it unties, loosening the robe. She lets the robe droop off her shoulder. I push the robe off of her. My eyes travel, taking her in. She’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t comprehend how we got to where we are now, but I’m glad that we did.

Melody closes the space between us, bringing her lips to mine with a needy kiss. I feel her delicate hands work to undo my jeans. I break apart the kiss to remove my shirt and I reconnect our lips. Before I know it, we’re both naked.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I whisper.

“I’m sure,” Melody rolls her eyes. “You’re making me not like you with as slow as you’re going.”

“I’m just trying to be romantic,” I can’t stop myself from smiling. I roll over, pinning her down to the bed. “But fine, I promise this will be anything but slow.” I crash my lips into hers, earning a surprised moan. 

Everything about this night feels perfect.

\------------------------------------------------------

My eyes creek open. Maybe Melody and I can get some breakfast before she leaves. I turn over, not expecting what I saw.

I’m alone in the room. No sign of Melody. Her clothes are gone. I sit up and get out of bed. Maybe… she’s in the bathroom.

I peek around the corner. The bathroom door is wide open, but no Melody. Maybe she left a note. I check the end table next to the bed. Nothing. I scan the floor. No note.

Fuck. She couldn’t even say goodbye?

I pick up my pants pockets from the floor. I have her number now. I can call her. I notice a bunch of texts from Michael and Gavin. I’ll read those in a minute. I scroll through my contacts….

No Melody.

She fucking deleted her number while I slept.

I sit back on the bed, defeated. As lame as it sounds, it feels like there’s a hole in my heart. I don’t know why this hurts so much. I knew that last night had to be the last night. I knew it had to end.

But I really wish it hadn’t.

I scroll through my messages.

_Michael: Yo where are you?_

_Michael: Hey, is everything alright?_

_Gavin: Ray? Where have you gone?_

_Michael: Dude, answer your phone._

_Gavin: Call us as soon as you can._

I sigh. Of course, they’re worried about me. I just left in the middle of the night without saying a word. I get dressed and text Michael and Gavin, letting them know that I’m on my way home.


	9. Trust

“Where the hell have you been?!” Michael growls as soon as I walk through the door.

“I was out. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” Michael repeats, crossing his arms. “What’s wrong?! I walk in your room to see if you’re awake and you’re fucking gone!”

“I’m fine, Michael,” I narrow my eyes. “Can you calm down for a few minutes? I’m not in the mood.”

“You think I’m in the mood? I’m sick of you lying to me! I came here to help you and Gavin and you’re keeping secrets from us!” 

Gavin patters into the room. “Micool,” He says is a soft voice. Michael’s shoulder relax and he stops yelling. “Ray, we we’re just worried. We were out looking for you all morning.”

“I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“Like I said, we were worried. Where were you?” Gavin leans against the wall.

I open my mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. I answer, finding Jack in our doorway.  “So,” Jack clears his throat. “How was your date?”

“Date?” Michael repeats.

Jack shrinks back and then peeks into the room. “Oh, I didn’t think you guys were up.”

“Thanks, Jack.” I grumble.

“You went on a date with Sadie? Why so late?” Gavin shrugs.

“It… it wasn’t Sadie…” I admit. “It was the girl from the club. Her name is Melody.”

“Oh, how did you guys meet up again?” Michael asks.

“Uh,” I can’t tell them about Melody being Songbird. “We kept bumping into each other around town. It just kinda happened…”

“Oh ho ho, so that’s where you were all night?” Gavin giggles. “You were with some bird. Well, give us some warning next time!”

Some bird, eh? Well, he’s not wrong…

“Wait,” Michael frowns. “You’re leaving something out. Why is Jack here? He’s only here when something bad is going on.”

Fuck.

“Melody is Songbird,” Jack reveals. “And Ray was playing a very dangerous game by going to meet her alone.”

“Dude, what the fuck.” Michael glares. 

“She’s not bad!” I insist. “She’s misguided and she needs my help.”

“Ray,” Gavin sighs. “Not everyone is like Ryan. Just because Riley managed to help Ryan, doesn’t mean it can happen with you and Songbird. That’s not very common.”

“Melody is different,” I argue. “Guys, please. You have to believe me. Melody is special. She can help us.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Jack strokes his beard. “I have no problem with having her around, but she doesn’t seem like she wants to change.”

“You don’t see her the way I do,” I say in a soft voice. “She’s kind and clever. Melody is scared, guys. She needs us. Isn’t that what a hero is for? Aren’t we supposed to help people? What would Riley say if she were still with us?”

“It’s just… a lot to take in, Ray,” Michael purses his lips. “We don’t know if she’s a double agent.”

“You have to believe me.” I start to argue.

“Hush,” Gavin’s attention is suddenly on the T.V. He turns up the volume. “Listen.”

“-Some kind of riot downtown caused by a super villain. Sources say he’s not really stealing anything. He’s attacking everything and everyone in sight. Police are trying to get a handle on the situation.” The news reports.

“We have to get downtown.” I say, getting my costume ready.

“I’ll drive us,” Jack fishes out his keys.” I’ll drop you off and then get Ryan and Geoff. “We’ll be on standby.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mind Jacked screeches the car to a halt. Mogar, Vav, and I rush out of the car. Mind Jacked speeds away. Citizens are in a panic, scrambling around, trying to get away from the attacker.

“Where are they?” I shout over the screams. “Who’s the villain?”

“X-Ray!!” An angry man’s voice roars over the citizens. “Where are you? Show yourself!” I scan the crowd. I spot Master Mind, with some kind of a gun. He points it at a car and pulls the trigger. The car begins to lift off the ground and he uses the gun to fling the car across the street. It seems to be some kind of anti- gravity gun.

“Master Mind,” I step closer to him. “Over here.”

Master Mind snaps his head in my direction, his eyes are wild. “Where. Is. She?” Master Mind growls as he stomps in my direction.

“What are you talking about?” I narrow my eyes.

Mogar and Vav jog to catch up to me. Master Mind shoots the gun in their direction and holds them up in the air. He throws the gun on the ground, approaching me threateningly. 

“Why the hell am I in the air? I’m not bloody Ryan!” Vav squeaks.

“What the hell does that mean?!” Mogar scolds.

“I don’t know, but I’d like to get down now!” Vav tries to kick his way down, still dangling in the air.

“Put them down!” I demand.

Master Mind has a villainous expression on his face. He knocks me to the ground and straddles me. His hand lunges at my neck, gripping my throat. “Where,” He grips tighter as I struggle. “Is,” I try to pry his hands away. “My. Songbird.”

“I- I- ack- I… ‘an’t breathe…” I gasp. I can’t breathe. Dear god I can’t breathe!

“I need to know where she is. And you’re going to tell me. I know you have her. You kidnapped her!” Master Mind accuses.

Wheezing and gasping for air, it’s almost impossible to focus my vision. It concentrate on keeping my eyes open. I shoot a laser, but it completely misses Master Mind. He flinches, which gives me the opportunity to flip him off of me. 

While he’s trying to recover, I take a moment to take a few deep breaths. I never thought the feeling of air being sucked down my throat would feel so good.

“You want to fight? We can fight.” I wheeze. We will fight… as soon as I catch my breath.

“I don’t want to fight, you son of a bitch. I just want Songbird back.” He hisses.

Wait… Songbird? Melody.

“What are you talking about?!” I shout.

“How many times do I have to say it?!” He screams. “I want Songbird back!”

“Where... she’s not with you?” I gulp. I feel the color drain from my face. Melody…

“No! If she was, would I be on a rampage? I know you must have something to do with her disappearance! Where are you hiding her?!”

“Ay! Calm down!” Vav pipes in. “We don’t have Songbird! How the hell would we know where she is?”

“You’re lying!” Master Mind shouts. “It all makes sense! You’ve been floating around Songbird, filling her head with nonsense! But because she was smart, she wouldn’t listen to you. So, you took her from me!”

“How long has she been gone?” I ask, my voice is surprisingly monotone. My stomach begins to churn and my throat begins to clam up. Melody, where did you go?

“I don’t know! I woke up this morning, and she wasn’t by my side. Why does this matter to you?!” Master Mind says in a spiteful tone.

“It sounds familiar…” I mumble, feeling a slight stab at my heart. 

_I wish I could just run away._

No. She didn’t… She wouldn’t… She really did run? But why?

“So you don’t know where she is?” Master Mind starts to calm down. He drops Mogar and Vav.

“Oof!” Vav and Mogar squeak as they hit the ground.

“I really don’t know. If I knew, I wouldn’t be wasting my time here with you.” I assure him.

“I need to find her before it’s too late. Well then,” Master Mind pulls out some kind of a button. “Until next time.” He pushes the button and then he vanishes.

“Huh. No helicopter? Must be some kind of new transportation device.” Mogar comments, dusting himself off. “Here.” He holds out his hand to Vav. 

“Thanks, boi.” Vav smiles as he accepts his help.

I’m sitting on my knees. “Melody…” I whisper. Why did you leave me? If you were just going to run away from them, why didn’t you stay? Could it be that you don’t trust me? I would’ve protected you. I would have done anything for you. I don’t know what you want from me. 

I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy,” Mogar tries to comfort me. “I knew how much Songbird… I mean, Melody, meant to you.”

“We want to help you,” Vav steps forward, kneeling in front of me. “Isn’t that what a hero is for? Aren’t we supposed to help people?” Vav smiles as he quotes me.

I offer a weak smile. “Really? You want to help me?”

“Not just you,” Mogar responds. “We want to help Melody.”

Vav holds out his hand and he pulls me up “Thanks, guys,”I nod. “So, where do we start?”

“I know finding Melody is important, but we may need to push that back a bit. Did you hear Master Mind? He said something about finding Songbird before it was “too late”. What did he mean by that? Too late for what?”

The Gentz approach us. “I think I know,” Mind Jacked raises his index finger. “Remember when Mogar first came to Aeravale? I warned you something big was happening. I still don’t know what it is, but I know it’s coming soon. Sooner than we’d all like to admit.”

“What should we do?” Vav asks, turning to Lazer.

“First, we figure out what the fuck is going on,” Lazer suggests. “We need to know what we’re dealing with so we know how much time we have.”

“But what about Melody? The longer we put off finding her, the more time she’ll have to get away.” Mogar points out.

“Melody won’t leave,” I shake my head. “She’s somewhere in the city. She’s looking for someone, and she’s convinced that they are somewhere around here.”

“How do you know?” Vav asks.

“She told me,” I shrug. “She’s looking for a certain hero. She’s convinced that a super hero murdered her mother.”

“A hero? Maybe she’s confused?” Mind Jacked offers.

“That’s what I said, but she’s certain it was a hero. I don’t know how she knows all of this. All I know is that Melody said her mother didn’t do anything to deserve it.”

“Melody must not be from around here,” Lazer hums. “In the past fifteen years, I’ve never heard of a hero killing citizens in cold blood. Honestly, there aren’t many citizens that were killed by accident.”

“Guys, this shouldn’t be our main objective right now. Why don’t we focus on finding out how much time we have?” The Mad King interrupts.

“But how do we do that? If we find Melody, won’t she know what the Fulcrum and Master Mind have planned?” Mogar asks. 

“So, we don’t have time to find Melody, but she’s the whole key to saving the city?” Mind Jacked says.

“Grah! This is messing up my brain! I don’t wanna think about this anymore!” Vav whines.

“Why don’t we split up?” I suggest. “I don’t know how you guys want to do this, but I think it would be best if I searched for Melody on my own.”

“Oh, here goes Mr. Loner,” Mogar rolls his eyes. “Dude, let us help you.”

“That’s not it!” I insist. “I don’t want to scare her. If two or three of us show up, she might get intimidated. It’s just better if I went alone.”

“She’s not an animal, X-Ray. Melody isn’t going to freak out if she sees a group.” Lazer adds. “Okay, so X-Ray, you and Mind Jacked can search for Melody. You’ll probably know where to find her better than us and Mind Jacked could be helpful if he gets a vision.”

“But won’t you need him to find The Fulcrum and Master Mind?” I argue. Everything suddenly becomes unfocused. I’m trying to concentrate on Lazer’s answer, but suddenly, all I can hear is Melody.

_How did you find me? I figured you would never look here._

“Where? Where is here, Melody?” I mumble to myself. It’s certainly her voice, but she hasn’t said this to me yet. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I don’t know why I’m suddenly hearing the future, but I hope it doesn’t stop here.

_This is honestly the last place you would want to be._

The last place I’d want to be? I think I know where to go.

“X-Ray? Are you okay? What are you talking about?” Mogar snaps his fingers.

“I know where she is,” I whisper before sprinting away.

“X-Ray!” Vav shouts.

“Go on!” I keep running. “I know where to find Melody. Focus on The Fulcrum’s plan!”

I need to find her. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Panting, and out of breath, I reach my destination. People stop and stare once I enter the mall. Small children point. I hear whispers swirl around me.

“Is that X-Ray?”

“What’s he doing here? Is there trouble?”

“Where’s Vav and Bagman?”

I keep walking. Melody has to be around. I know it. I start speed walking past a store. I freeze when I spot a familiar frame near the window. Melody is shopping, alone, with shopping bags in her hands.

I walk in the store. “Melody!” 

She tenses up as she faces me. “…X-Ray…”

Customers slow down to watch. “Why did you leave me?” I ask.

Melody’s eyes fix on the ground. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out.

“Melody,” I tilt her head up so her eyes meet mine. “Why would you do that to me?” I continue.

“How did you find me?” Melody avoids the question. “I figured you would never look here. This is honestly the last place you would want to be.”

“It’s not important how I found you. I just want to know why you left him, but you also ran away from me?”

Melody blushes as she looks around the store. Customers are staring and whispering among themselves. “Can we talk about this somewhere else?” She grabs my hand and drags my out of the store.

“Where were you going to go after the mall closed?” I scold. Melody doesn’t say a word. We walk into a hallway, where we could be alone.

“Okay, so you found me,” Melody rolls her eyes. “Now what?”

“You left me this morning. After everything that happened last night, you just left without saying goodbye. So you realize how much that hurt?”

“You knew what you were getting yourself into,” She huffs. “I warned you. I said we couldn’t see each other anymore.”

“But just leaving me after what we did? After what we went through?!" I shout. "That night meant the world to me, Melody. And you abandoned me. I felt so used.”

“You think I used you?!” She narrows her eyes. “You know what, fine. If that’s what you want to think, then I used you. I’m a villain,” She says. “Isn’t that what villains do? They hurt people.”

“You are not a villain,” I assure her. “You’re different.”

“No, I’m not!” Melody shakes her head. “What the hell are you even doing, anyway? Why did you bother to find me?”

“We need your help. You’re the only one who can help us right now. You know what The Fulcrum and Master Mind are planning.” I state, bluntly.

“Why the fuck should I help you?!” She snaps. “Why should I help a hero? What has a hero ever done for me?!”

“What has your stupid boyfriend ever done for you?” I retort. “I think you and I both know that I can treat you way better than he ever could.”

“You conceited asshole,” She growls. “That’s not true!”

I lean in, placing my hands on the wall, trapping her. “Then push me away,” I challenge her. “I won’t fight. If you really think he’s better for you, then shove me aside.”

Melody doesn’t move.

“I have to know,” I press on. “If you were planning on leaving them anyway, why didn’t you just stay with me?” I feel my glare melt away. “Why would you put me through that?”

“…I never meant to hurt anyone…” She admits. “I can’t trust them…” She replies in a soft voice.

“Okay, so-”

“I can’t trust you, either,” Melody interrupts. “What I’m trying to say is that I can’t trust anyone. I always went along with Master Mind because that was all I knew. After a while, finding my mother’s killer started not to matter to him anymore. I still wanted to stick with him. But then, after I met you, I started feeling something different.” She admits. “I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was your charm, your humor… Hell, maybe it was the way you look in spandex.” She smirks.

“I do look pretty good.” A smile escapes on my lips as I nod in agreement.

Melody frowns. “Whatever it was that made me fall for you, it confused me. All I ever wanted was to get revenge for my mother. But now… I don’t know what I believe in…”

“Why not believe in us?” I place my hand on her cheek. “I know things are tough for you. But you can trust me. Ever since I met you, all I could think about is you. I don’t know what else you want me to say. I’m… I’m in love with you, Melody. And all I want is to protect Aeravale City with the woman I love.” I say in a soft voice.

“….Ray…” Melody pauses.

“Let me help you find the hero that killed your mom,” I offer. “After we find them, if you don’t want to stick around, you can leave. Just give me a chance to prove myself to you. But right now, the city needs you. Fuck… I need you.”

Melody thinks for a moment before reaching into her back pocket. She pulls out her mask and places it on her face. “I want to help.” Melody unzips her jacket, revealing her Songbird costume. “I can tell you what they’re planning-”

My X-Ray cell begins to ring. “Now is not the best time,” I grumble as I answer. “Hello?”

“Uh, X-Ray?” Vav squeaks. “Have you looked at the sky recently?”

“Huh? Why?” I ask, rushing to a window. Melody trails behind. My eyes widen as I see what Vav is talking about. “… What the fuck is that?”

Melody gasps. “No! Now?! Why are they doing it now?!” She whines.

There’s some kind of large air ship, with a giant laser gun attached to it. It’s so… cliché.

“Meet us at the Knox tower! It’s the tallest building in Aeravale!” Vav instructs.

“Got it. See you soon.” I hang up the phone. “Melody, what is that?”

“That,” She points. “That is going to destroy the entire city.”

“Well, I could’ve guessed that!” I throw my hands in the air. “Why?”

“Villain logic, man. It doesn’t even make sense to me.” Melody shrugs.

“What the hell is wrong with you people?” I shout as we run towards the exit.

“Okay, I assume we’re meeting you’re friends. Where?” Melody asks.

“Knox tower.” I inform her as we walk into the mall parking lot.

Melody approaches a large man with a motorcycle. “Excuse me,” She taps the man on the shoulder. “May we borrow that?”

“Songbird, what the hell?!” I shout. This woman is going to get herself hurt! You just don’t ask to borrow a biker’s motorcycle!

“Uh, no?” The biker looks stunned that she would even ask such a silly question.

“ _I’ll sing you a song and you’ll be under my spell,_ ” Melody sings. “ _Captivated, so bitter sweet. Listen close, and it shall end well._ ”

The biker blinks and his eyes dilate. “Oh, sorry, miss,” he gets off the bike. “Here you go.”

“Thanks!” She grins and hops on the motorcycle. “Grab on!” She turns to me.

“But…” I shuffle my feet.

“What’s wrong?” She tilts her head.

“… Shouldn’t I drive?” I grumble.

Melody cocks an eyebrow. “Do you know how to drive a motorcycle?”

“Uh… No… but, like, I’m the man, and-”

“Oh, quit it with the manly pride! We have a city to save!” Melody rolls her eyes.

Mumbling under my breath, I swing my leg over the bike, and wrap my arms around Melody’s waist.

“Now, hold on tight! I like to go fast.” Melody warns me as the engine revs. 

“I think I can manage.” I say in a sarcastic tone. Before I can say something else smart, the bike jerks forward and starts racing out of the parking lot. “Oh god! I don’t wanna die!” I tighten my grip on Melody, squeezing my eyes shut.

Melody zips through stops signs and red lights, not bothering to slow down. She weaves in and out through traffic. I’m not a religious man, but I catch myself praying for my life.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somehow, we make it to the tower in one piece.

“Oh, come on,” Melody begs as we rush to the top of the tower. “It wasn’t that bad!”

“Melody, I’ve never been more afraid for my life than in that moment. And that says a lot. I’m a fucking hero. I’ve been in some serious trouble before.” I shake my head. “But never mind that. You owe me dinner for your reckless driving.”

“Fair enough,” She sighs. We reach the top of the tower. The Gentz, Mogar, and Vav are waiting for us.

“You found her!” Vav cheers.

The Mad King tilts his head as he studies Melody. Why is he staring at her?

“Okay, Songbird,” Lazer steps forward. “How do you get on the ship?”

“You need this,” Melody pulls out the same button that Master Mind hand earlier. “Master Mind designed these not too long ago. This will transport us directly onto the ship.”

“How does it do that?” Vav asks.

“I don’t know. Villain logic.” Melody shrugs.

“That’s your answer for everything!” I playfully scold her.

“Don’t blame me. I don’t make the rules,” She chuckles. “There’s no other way to do this. You all have to huddle around me.”

Before anyone can move, I wrap my arms around her. “I call shot gun.”

“That doesn’t make sense, but whatever,” Melody sighs. “Now, everyone. Group hug.”

“I can’t believe this…” Mind Jacked grumbles as everyone grabs on.

Melody presses the button and then everything goes dark.


	10. The End of the X-Ray We Know

I crack an eye open. We’re inside the base. 

“See?” Melody whispers. “That wasn’t so bad. Now, get off of me.” She shrugs us all off.

“You haven’t really told us what they’re planning.” Lazer reminds her.

“They’re going to use the giant laser gun on the city of Aeravale if they don’t give into their demands,” She explains. “The Fulcrum and Master Mind want control of the city. Mostly for power. They’re using the gems that were stolen from the museums to power this whole ship.”

“They couldn’t use something less expensive?!” Vav squawks. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”

“Villain logic.” Melody shrugs.

“Melody, please…” I slap my forehead. “If I hear that explanation of “villain logic” one more time…”

“Okay, so what about at the science lab?” Mind Jacked jumps in.

“We stole the plans and right parts to build the gun.”

I notice the Mad King is holding his cell phone to his ear. “Is right now the appropriate time to call someone?!” I shout.

“My daughter is getting out of school in an hour,” he hisses. “I’m asking the nice couple next door to pick her up. Ashlynn loves them.”

“Oh, boy.” I shake my head.

“Hey, when you’re a parent and a super hero, you do what you have to do.”

“Oh, you have a daughter?” Melody cuts in, suddenly interested in the conversation. “I love children!”

“Yeah, she’s six.” Ryan smiles like a proud parent. “Maybe you can come over sometimes. Ashlynn could use more female role models. She’ll stick to you like glue.”

“What about her mother? Surely, she looks up to her.” Melody asks.

“Uh… no…” he takes a deep breath. “Her mother is no longer with us. She died in action. She was also a hero.”

“Remember those two friends I told you about?” I nod towards The Mad King.

Melody’s face drops. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Well, while he makes that call, here’s what we’re going to do,” Lazer takes charge. “Songbird, you take Mad King with you to disable the gun. Do whatever you can to make it not work. The rest of us are going to ambush Master Mind and The Fulcrum.”

“I don’t know if I can help with the giant gun,” She admits. “I know where it is, but that’s about it. I didn’t assemble it.”

“The Mad King is a smart guy. You two can figure it out together.” Lazer assures her.

“I… I want Ray to come with me…” Melody mumbles. My face grows warm as I try to bite my lip to hide my smile.

“Very well,” Lazer nods towards me. “X-Ray, go with them. The rest of us will face The Fulcrum.”

“I get to go with Lazer and Mind Jacked? Fighting side by side?” Mogar’s eyes grow wide.

“They will most likely be in the observation room. Be careful,” Melody warns us. “There are lots of henchmen on this aircraft. And The Fulcrum may not be easy to take down.”

“Right, what is his power, exactly?” Mind Jacked asks.

“I never found out,” Melody shrugs. “Master Mind and I did all the dirty work for him. I’ve never seen him use any powers. But don’t underestimate him. Whatever his power is might make him a difficult opponent.”

“Okay. Thanks for the heads up. Let’s split up.” Lazer commands and with that, we part ways.

The Mad King and I follow Melody to what looks like a control room. There is a room full of henchmen. “I’m going to have to ask you all to leave.” Melody demands.

“Uh, Songbird, we can’t do that…” One of the men begin to protest when he notices me and The Mad King.

Melody sighs. “Cover your ears,” She instructs. The Mad King obeys. I don’t. What’s the point? Her spells don’t work on heroes. She starts to sing. “ _I’ll sing you a song and you’ll be under my spell. Captivated, so bitter sweet. Listen close, and it shall end well._ ”

The henchmen in the room stop what they’re doing and face Melody. “Good boys,” She smiles.  “Why don’t you all go upstairs and help my friends fight The Fulcrum?”

Without another word, the men file out of the room. “Wow.” The Mad King praises.

“This over here is what controls the gun.” Melody leads us to the control panel. “Right underneath is the gun itself.”

“So, let’s take a look,” The Mad King steps forward and inspects the panel. “You said this gun is powered by the gems, right? So, all we have to do is find the power source and remove them.”

“Good idea,” I add. “Let’s look around.”

The Mad King pauses. “Songbird?” He looks to the floor. “Does the name Minerva mean anything to you?”

“No, why?” She answers casually, still searching for the power source.

“She was a terrifying villain who could manipulate memories,” The Mad King explains. “Nothing could stop her. Minerva could do whatever she wanted. She also used to be a great ally of mine.”

“What is the point of this story?” I’m getting annoyed. He should be helping us look, not telling stories.

“I’m just talking. I knew Minerva very well. I also knew her personal life. We were really good friends. All I want to ask is… Songbird, would your greatest weakness happen to be Diaspore?”

Melody’s eyes grow wide.

“What the fuck is that?” I interrupt.

“Diaspore is an oxide mineral.” The Mad King continues.

“I found the gems!” Melody opens a compartment and empties out the gems. “I’ll hold on to these. I’m sure the local museums will want these back.”

“Songbird-” The Mad King tries to speak.

Melody interrupts. “We have to get back to the others! Let’s go!”

The Mad King shakes his head. “I suppose you’re right. Now’s not the time for this. I’m sorry. Lead us to the battle.”

Melody continues ahead. I pull The Mad King back. “Wait, what the fuck was that about?” I whisper.

“I know who killed her mother,” He answers. “But Melody’s mother was not who she thinks she was. Let’s not get into this now. I don’t know what came over me. This was not the best time for this conversation.”

“What conversation?” A loud cry of pain can be heard from our destination. I instantly recognize that voice. “Vav’s in trouble!” I shout, running ahead. I enter the room. There are no sign of henchmen, just my team and Master Mind. For whatever reason, my team seems to be attacking nothing, throwing their attacks at air. The Fulcrum is nowhere to be seen.

Master Mind has Vav pinned down. Why is no one helping him?! I rush in and tackle him off of my friend.

“Ah, there you are,” His eyes grow dark. “My real enemy. I’ve been waiting on you.” He jabs his fist into my stomach, causing me to flinch back.

Melody jumps in front of me. “Leave him alone!” She grits her teeth.

Master Mind frowns. “My love?”

“Consider this a break up!” Melody charges after him. “X-Ray, go help Vav!”

I nod and jog back over to Vav. “Hey, buddy,” I prop my arm behind his head. “You okay?”

“Blah… bloody nerd can pack a punch,” Vav coughs. “I’ll be fine. Help me up.”

I pull Vav up, allowing him to rest his weight on my shoulder. “The Fulcrum…” He coughs. “His power… He has invisibility.”

“Okay, so then how do you know he’s still in here?” I look around the room.

“Oh, he’s in here. He’s fucking around with Lazer, Mind Jacked, and Mogar.” Vav answers.

“Stop moving, you son of a bitch!” Mogar rages, shooting fire everywhere. “Where are you?!”

“Come on, Bagman. You can do better than that.” A disembodied voice teases.

“God damn it! He sounds so close! I’m going to roast you alive!” Mogar spins, shooting fire all around him.

Lazer dodges out of the way, almost getting hit. “Cool it! I almost got hit!”

I hear Melody yelp. I whip my head in her direction. Master Mind is on her. She’s shielding her face as he pulls back his fist. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” He seethes. “All you had to do is just go along with this. I could’ve helped you.”

My blood begins to boil. I prop Vav up against a wall and rush to Melody. I grab Master Mind’s fist before it connects with Melody. I yank him away from her, pulling him to his feet. “I won’t let you hurt her!” My fist smashes into his face, repeatedly. I toss him to the ground. Master Mind’s mask must have been loose, because it gently floats to the ground, revealing his true identity. He’s the same guy from the club that night. Why didn’t I see that before? I stomp over to him, yanking his collar. “I know who you are now,” I warn. “I don’t ever want to see you around Melody. Citizen or villain. You will not come near her.”

Master Mind, A.K.A., Dustin, reaches up, realizing his mask has fallen off. His shoulders droop, finally admitting defeat.

Melody ties him up and pulls him to the side. 

“You’re helping your enemy, you know.” Dustin says in a low voice.

“They’re not my enemies. I don’t know what they are, really. But I’m going to find out.” Melody says, finishing up the final knot.

“Really? You’re going to trust the people who know your mother’s killer?”

Melody pauses. “What are you talking about?!”

“You thought that I gave up. In reality, The Fulcrum did a little research,” Dustin smirks. “Turns out, your mother was a super villain, just like you. She was known as Minerva. You know, memory manipulation? Your mother was murdered by the hero, The Red Herring. See that man?” He nods towards The Mad King. “That’s her husband. You want revenge? Stop them from winning.”

“Melody, don’t listen to him!” I step forward.

Melody turns, revealing the angriest and pained expression I’ve ever seen. Her glare fixes on The Mad King as he throws desks and pillars of debris around the room, attempting to hit The Fulcrum.

“Melody?” I approach her carefully. “Don’t do this,” I coax her. “We can figure this out together. But right now, we have to get The Fulcrum and Master Mind to jail.”

“Songbird, being a villain is in your blood. You were born to oppose heroes.” Dustin gives a crooked smile.

“A person is not defined by their parents, Melody,” I try to reason. “It doesn’t matter who your family is, what your background is, or if you have powers or not. What defines you is the choices you make and what makes you feel good. Melody, the only one who can define you is yourself. Don’t give in to revenge and petty grudges. You are so much better than that,”

“All this time, I’ve been searching, and now what I’m looking for is right up ahead,” Melody begins to breath heavily. “All I want is to kill him. I can’t hurt his wife. If I could bring her back to do so, I would. The Mad King is the closest thing I can get to revenge.”

“What about his daughter?” I remind him. “Remember? You love kids, right? If you hurt The Mad King, his daughter will be an orphan. You can’t take that sweet little girl’s father from her.”

“Songbird,” Dustin snaps Melody’s attention back to him. “Do what you were destined to do. Do what you’ve trained for.”

“Listen to him! Has he even referred to you by your real name? I would understand if he was trying to protect your identity, but we all know your real name, and he refuses to use it. He’s only trying to get inside your head, Melody. He doesn’t care about anyone in this room. All he wants to do is hurt people and if your listen to him, he’ll be getting his way!” I snap. “He doesn’t care about who you are as a person, Melody. I do. And I know that you’re not very trusting, but I guarantee I can change that,” I hold out my hand to her. “Help me take down The Fulcrum and then we can get your answers from The Mad King. And I’ll be by your side every step of the way. You won’t have to face this alone.”

With each word, Melody’s anger dissolves. “I won’t be alone?” She whispers.

I shake my head. “Not anymore.” 

Melody takes my hand and we walk away from Dustin. 

“You’re making a huge mistake.” He growls.

“Okay, so how do we take out something we can’t see?” I hum.

Melody looks around the room. “Oh!” She cheers, pointing to some barrels. “Flour! We kept our food supply here in the observation deck!”

“Okay… Uh, that’s an idea,” I try to be supportive. “But how does this solve our problem?”

She points to the ceiling. I look up. All I see are vents. 

“Yeeeah, I’m still not getting it.” I shake my head.

Melody sighs. “Just get those barrels open! I’m going to turn the vents on full blast!”

Still confused, I do what she says. Luckily, The Fulcrum is still pissing off Mogar. 

“Get ready to face our foe!” Melody cheers with joy, blasting the vents. I tip over all the flour, sugar, and whatever powdered substance I could get a hold of. With it all on the floor, it makes it easier for the powders to flow around the room. 

“Now, what?” I mumble to myself. I don’t see the point in this.

The powder starts to stick to our clothing. A new figure starts to appear in the room.

“There you are, you bastard!” Mogar growl, shooting fire right at him.

“Huh?” The Fulcrum looks down, noticing that parts of his body are completely visible due to the flour and sugar. “Oh, fuck!” He starts running out of the room.

The Mad King blocks his path. “Where the hell are you going?” He smashes his fist to his stomach, sending him flying across the room. 

While The Fulcrum is trying to steady himself, Lazer steps forward, grabbing his shirt. “Time is up, Fulcrum. Let’s just say we are no longer turning a…. blind eye to you and your plans.”

“Ugh that was horrible!” Mind Jacked groans.

“I thought it was pretty good,” Lazer shrugs. “Anyway, Songbird, land us somewhere safe. We need to drop these boys off to jail.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We make sure we drop off The Fulcrum and Master Mind to jail. The city is saved once again… for now.

We’re all gathered at the superhero base, in our normal clothes. 

“So…” Melody messes with her coffee cup. “My mother… she was really a villain….” 

“I’m sorry you had to find out like this…” Ryan scratches the back of his head. “Four years ago, your mother kidnapped Ashlynn, to draw me out. Her plan was to convince me to be a villain and help her with her plan to take over Aeravale. She needed all the muscle she could get, and we used to be good friends. She trusted me. However, I couldn’t go back to that life. I had a family, and Minerva was threatening that. Riley… she wouldn’t allow her family to be threatened like that…” Ryan gets quiet. “Riley died that night. She sacrificed her life to protect me and Ashlynn,” Ryan strokes Ashlynn’s hair as she listen intently to Ryan’s story. It seems this is Ashlynn’s first time hearing this story. 

“Mommy protected me?” Ashlynn’s voice full of innocence.

Ryan smiles, his eyes turning glassy. “Of course. She loved you,” He turns back to Melody. “I’m sorry for the way things turned out. But there was no other way for it to end.”

Melody fixes her gaze on the table. Her hands were shaking. I place my hand over hers. She re-gains control and steadies her breathing. “I’ll… I’ll be okay… It’s just a shock…” She sighs. “All this time, I didn’t know what my mom was really doing. I never would have pictured her as a villain. She was my mom, you know? She could never be wrong to me… We were close.”

“I’m here for you,” I add. “I’ll be there to help you through all of this.” 

“We all are!” Gavin pipes in from across the room.

“Gavin, let them talk,” Michael pulls Gavin closer to him. “They’re having an important conversation!”

I snicker. “Yep. Go ahead and pretend you’re scolding him. You just wanted him closer to you. Why don’t you just admit that you like each other and get it over with?”

“That’s not it!’ Michael shouts, blushing.

“Micool, but I do like you…” Gavin mumbles.

Michael starts to yell. “Listen! I don’t…” He pauses. “Oh… Wait, you do?” Michael scratches the back of his head. “Uh… should we go outside to talk?”

Gavin nods, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“I’m such an awesome matchmaker.” I praise.

“Oh hush.” Melody shakes her head. 

“I’m great at telling when people are meant to be. You know, I really think we were meant to meet each other.” I continue.

“Really? What makes you think that?” Melody looks up.

“I’ve been drawn to you ever since we met,” I explain. This catches Jack’s attention. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And you know what? I think I might have mind powers, too. You know how I found you? I heard your voice telling me that you were the last place I’d want to be. Which is obviously the mall.” I smile proudly.

“Wait, what are you talking about? You heard me? You have mind powers? When did that happen?” Melody tilts her head.

“Yeah,” Jack jumps in, sounding concerned. “When?”

“Well… I don’t know. It all happened after I met Melody. I can’t explain it. I guess… I was hearing your voice in the future. And being around you, I feel like I really know you. Sounds crazy, right?”

Melody’s face changes to curious to fearful. “Oh no…” She whispers.

“Private meeting.” Jack stands, rushing to a different room. I follow, confused. Melody refuses to look at me as we walk to the next room.

Geoff, Ryan, and Ashlynn are left alone, just as confused as I am.

Jack slams the door behind the three of us. “You forced him to love you,” Jack accuses, jabbing his finger at Melody. “That’s what you did, didn’t you?!”

“I didn’t know that would happen!” Melody shrinks back.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?!” I shout. “She didn’t force me. I fell in love with her on my own!” I insist.

Jack looks at me with pity. “You _think_ that you did…”

“Ray…” Melody’s eyes start to water. “I didn’t know… I’m still shaky with my powers…”

“What’s going on?!” I demand.

“Think, Ray. All this happened after you met her. She tried to control you once you first met. But guess what, it didn’t work. Why? Because it took a different effect on you,” Jack explains. “After she sang to you, you couldn’t stop thinking about her, you unconsciously started knowing things about her.”

“We danced to my favorite song…” Melody says in a quiet voice. “Remember? I said that’s what I always wanted and you said you thought I would like it…”

“Hold on,” I gulp. “This doesn’t make sense!”

“My singing made you fall in love with me…” Melody continues. “Once you heard my voice, in a way, it planted a seed in your mind. You could only think about me, wanted to see me, wanting to please me. You knew where to find me because I wanted you to find me…”

“But what about hearing the future?” I ask.

“Melody’s powers deal with the mind. It’s not just limited to controlling people. With time, she can do all the things I can do. Including knowing the future,” Jack explains. “With that “seed” that she planted, it allowed you to hear the path you were going down, with Melody as your main objective.”

“I…” I grasp my head. It’s not true. I’m in love with Melody. Nothing made me like this! “I don’t understand…”

“Melody, I have to train you, immediately. You need to be in control of your powers.” Jack frowns.

“I…” Melody sniffles. “I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I insist. “Who cares? I’m in love with you. That’s all that matters!”

“But we don’t know if you’re in love with me, freely…”

“I do,” I grab her hands. “Melody, you have to believe me.” 

“No one falls in love that quickly…”

“Melody,” Jack sighs. “There’s only one thing we can do to help him.”

Melody finally breaks down and cries. “I know… but…”

“It has to be done.” Jack places his hands on my shoulder. “Ray, you’ll have to forgive me for this.”

“I’m sorry… Ray…” Melody sobs. “I’m so so sorry!”

“Sorry? Why?” I try to comfort her.

Jack keeps me in one place. He places his hand over my head. “Ray, I’m really sorry, bud, but I have to remove every memory of Melody and Songbird. This whole situation is going to be forgotten.”

“What?!” I start to struggle.

Melody hugs me to keep me still. “We have to! Whatever I did to your brain, it isn’t fair! It’s not your real thoughts! If we abstract the memories, you brain won’t be poisoned by me.”

I begin to relax once her arms are around me. “Everything we went through… it was for nothing? I’m never going to get that back?” I ask in a soft voice.

Melody sniffles. “I’ll find my way back to you once I can control my powers. I promise,” Melody cries. “I’ll explain everything to you. I can do that, right Jack? I’ll tell him everything about our first meeting.”

“That will be fine,” Jack nods. “Once the “seed”, as you called it, is out of his head, it can’t force him to think a certain way again. If you want to try and reawaken these memories again, it will be completely safe.”

I wipe her eyes, catching any tears that fall. “Hey,” I force a smile. “Lucky me. I’ll get to meet you again.”

Melody lets out a soft laugh, tears still escaping her eyes. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll see you soon.” I promise, leaning in for one final kiss.

Melody steps back. 

“Okay, Melody. This might actually be a good lesson for you. Abstracting memories is very tricky, but useful.” Jack starts to teach. His voice starts fading away as everything gets dark. 

“Don’t worry,” I hear him say. “If it was meant to be, you’ll find each other again.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wake up, alone in a room. Where am I? I study the walls. I’m at the superhero base. I must have passed out.

Wasn’t I talking to someone a few moments ago? 

I walk out, holding my head. Man, my head is killing me…

In the main lobby, there’s Gavin and Michael.

“Michael?” I tilt my head. Why is he here? “Oh, right! I called you here. I’m stupid.” I shake my head. “Never mind, man. I’m still sleepy.”

Gavin and Michael exchange glances. I can’t really tell why they look so worried.

“Hey, guys. I’m fine,” I promise them. “What’s for dinner? I’m fucking starving!” I ask as, to my surprise, Geoff, Ryan, and Ashlynn enter the superhero base. “Hey! Long time, no see!” I greet them.

Geoff offers a weak smile. “Yeah, man. That was some fight. The Gentz had to jump in to help you.”

“Man, I wish I could remember what happened.” I rub my head.

“You did get knocked out. That villain was a toughie,” Ryan adds. “Anyway, I heard you were hungry? We can head back to my place and I can cook us something.”

Ashlynn clings to Ryan’s side. I’ve never seen her so quiet. Maybe she’s sleepy.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Gavin forces a smile. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was on the verge of crying.

Michael places a comforting hand on Gavin’s shoulder.

“Hey, you know, you two would really make a cute couple.” I tease.

I expect Michael to get angry. Instead, he smiles. “Yeah.” He turns to Gavin. “He’s right.” He responds, holding Gavin’s hand.

“Oh,” I tilt my head. “I was totally joking, but congrats! I’m happy for you guys,” I frown when I notice someone is missing. “Hey, where’s Jack?”

“Oh, he has some weird mind training. He’s not going to be around for a while,” Ryan waves it off. “Let’s get going. I’m getting pretty hungry myself. 

Man, this day feels weird.

Why does something seem off?

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Six Months Later:**

The lads and I are chilling at the base. Crime in the city has gone down significantly. There are a few robberies here and there, but it’s pretty quiet.

We lost our jobs at the mall. I suppose not showing up to save the world without calling was a bad idea. But hey, from what Gavin and Michael told me, it was a big deal. 

I only wish I could remember that mission. Everything feels like a blur. So maybe, it wasn’t important.

Lucky for us, Mayor Knox decided to start paying superheroes as a thank you for saving the city all the damn time. It’s perfect.

Also, it turns out, the mayor’s daughter, Tabitha Knox, came out with her super speed to her father. Being proud, he decided to share this private information with us. She’s not in control of her powers yet. Once she starts running, she has no idea how to stop. She keeps accidentally running to China. As soon as she learns to stop in the right place, we look forward to meeting her.

There’s been this nagging pain of loneliness. I can’t really describe it. I broke up with Sadie because of it. She clearly wasn’t making me happy.

There’s a knock at the main door. Jack walks in. The mood shifts. Gavin and Michael glance at each other and smile.

“Oh, Jack. How was the spirit trip?” I ask, ignoring Team Mavin over there. They’ve been a bit weird all day. Man, Jack has been gone for such a long time.

“It wasn’t a spirit trip, but it was good,” Jack bites his lip. “I have a new super hero for your team,” he hums. “I’ve been training her and I know she’s going to be a great addition to your team.”

“So, where is she?” I ask.

A woman walks in and I can barely breathe.

Her chocolate brown eyes sparkle in the light and her dark brown hair shines with every step she takes. Her sun kissed skin is glowing. She clears her throat, avoiding eye contact with me.

My god. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I stand up, walking close to her, not caring who sees. I feel the need to talk to her.

Her timid eyes meet mine for the first time, and I feel my heart melt.

Is this what love at first sight feels like?

“Ah,” She speaks almost carefully. “You’re the famous X-Ray.”

The sound of her voice is enchanting. I feel my stomach begin to flip. “Yeah,” I give a shy smile. “You can call me Ray. And your name?”

“I’m Melody.” She grins. I don’t know why, and maybe it’s all in my head, but she seems really glad to see me.

And you know, as crazy as this sounds, I’m sincerely glad that she’s here. 

 


End file.
